


Bound by Fate

by orejasAfiladas, Rythana



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Bath Sex, Blow Jobs, Breeding, Cultural Differences, Dragons, F/M, First Time, Hand Jobs, Impregnation, Inspired by Game of Thrones, Master/Slave, Not Beta Read, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Kink, Prophetic Visions, Roleplay, Roleplay Logs, Saving the World, Visions in dreams, inspired by The Hero and the Crown
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:07:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 42,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24035581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orejasAfiladas/pseuds/orejasAfiladas, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rythana/pseuds/Rythana
Summary: Used to following the teachings of his insular religion, Talon Worldmounter is frightened when a vision leads him to believe his first partner and the mother of his child will be a foreigner with rare violet eyes. Farina, a violet-eyed servant in the same city, is surprised when he buys her as a body slave. Their story begins there, but will take these as-yet unknown heroes into dangerous and sometimes fantastic situations.
Relationships: Farina/Talon Worldmounter
Comments: 5
Kudos: 44





	1. The Start

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s note: This story is a transcription of a roleplay by orejasAfiladas and Rythana. orejasAfiladas plays Farina, Rythana plays Talon Worldmounter. The story is inspired by George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice series and Robin McKinley’s The Hero and the Crown. We have taken significant liberties though; this world is neither of those, though some elements will seem familiar.
> 
> Rated Explicit for detailed sex and some violence. The major kinks explored in this fic are breeding/pregnancy, master/slave dynamics, and cultural differences.

It was the day of the Seeing in Dal’Ramoth. Talon Worldmounter, son of Theos Worldmounter, was excited to drink from the Cup of Hosh’Nare and see the image of his firstborn. It was a momentous day, one that he looked forward to since he was a small boy. His father told the stories of his various Seeings frequently, as he has been through many Seasons. But the one he loved to tell the most was his first, which led to the conception of Talon.

His father decided to stop breeding this Season, as he was now happy with his family. That meant it was finally Talon’s turn. 

He wore the traditional loose white pants, his feet and muscular chest bare. Most of the younger men of the tribe were there to celebrate and begin anew. They sat on the ground in circles of about twenty and he could count thirty circles, squashed together on the large field where they traditionally ran their horses. The sun was low in the sky still, with some clouds dotting the sky. This was thought by some elders to be a good omen. 

He shivered lightly in the morning air. The men in his circle had fallen silent, and he saw the elders carefully carrying cups of _khal_ out to each circle. Tension mounted within him, as he knew he would see his vision soon.

The lower-status men drank first, then passed the cup up the social ladder until the highest ranked man drank. Talon drank last in his circle. He took a deep drink of the bitter liquid, tilting the cup back to finish it. The men in his circle, his friends and sword-brothers, cheered when he finished drinking, Talon’s head nodding as if accepting their praise.

The _klah_ took a few moments to take effect, but soon the men were slumping in their places, passing out as was intended. Talon’s vision began to swim and he sank into a dream….

_He was holding a sleeping infant in his arms, cradling the naked boy against his chest. He could hear a woman singing a peaceful song nearby in Umali, but he didn’t look toward its source. He protectively watched his child begin to stir. In a moment the child’s eyes opened, and they were so striking that he was taken aback. The child had brilliantly violet irises which were looking around inquisitively. He felt a deep sense of joy and pride._

The vision faded, and he found himself flat on his back, a circle of his friends gathered around him.

“You were out long,” said his brother, Hersham. “Did you See anything?”

Talon paused, thinking back. _Violet eyes. Umali. A boy._ He pressed his hands against his eyes, trying to clear his mind from the aftereffects of the mildly toxic drink. _Violet eyes. Umali._

What could it mean? One thing was certain, however. He would be a father next year.

He focused, surging to his feet and pumping fist in the air as he roared, “It will be a boy!” 

His friends pulled him into their huddle, arms wrapping around each other and jumping, performing a common Kitadi celebratory dance.

* * *

A caravan had just arrived within the town, bustling with activity. The slave trader hummed happily as he slowed the horses down in their tracks. The caravan arrived at a set of posts on the edge of the village, and the trader hopped out of the front seat and led the reins around the horses' necks before typing them to the post. In the distance, an older woman with a string of long, white, braided hair approached him and started to converse in a jovial manner. Meanwhile, the four prisoners sat within the caravan, one of which who bore striking, brilliant purple eyes. 

After conversing for a minute, she asked to see his wares. He brought her around to the back of the caravan, commanding the slaves to stand up and align themselves in the sun for inspection. The purple-eyed prisoner was the only one among the group, so the older woman chose her almost automatically after a quick inspection. She handed the man a sack of what the prisoner assumed was money before motioning to her. 

_Why automatically pick a woman?_ The violet-eyed prisoner thought to herself in her native tongue, Umali. Much of what she had to figure out was based on context, but she had finally acquired enough comprehension of the language Kitadi from talking to other slaves and slavetraders. She was lucky that this was the native language of the older woman as well.

The elder asked her her name in Kitadi, and she replied, "Farina." Did her last name matter? Probably not. As she suspected, the woman asked little more than that. 

"And your age?"

"Um....?" Farina did not recognize that word, so she couldn't answer the woman. 

"How old are you?" The woman rephrased. 

"Ah! I am 24 years old," She responded. 

With that, the woman nodded and approval, untying her wrists and motioning for her to follow. She introduced herself, “My name is Ratha Rushriver. I am the servant master of Dal-Ramoth, which is the name of this city.” Farina nodded in response, following her. 

The center of the town was bustling with people, young and old. Many people dressed in servants’ clothes ran around with buckets of water, rags, natural medication, food, and other supplies. Farina happened to notice the growing and intense cries of infants. How did a town have so many infants at one time? The older woman stopped at a temple-like area, its inside practically a daycare center at the moment. “I bought you to help with the children. All you must do is change and play with them, hopefully. If a feeding mother is not around, you can come find me and I will manage the situation. Clear?” the young servant was not clear because she talked a bit too quickly, but she got the gist of the situation. She was to be a nursery assistant. “Clear,” Farina responded, her face blank of emotion before heading over to the infants.

* * *

The news of Talon’s successful Seeing spread throughout the city, and he accepted the congratulations graciously, though his mind was whirling, those violet eyes burned into his mind. Even two days later, he was still being heckled and catcalled about it as he rode through the narrow streets on his prized war house, 

Eyes among the Kitadi were brown. They varied from near-black to an amber, but they were always some shade of brown. Only outlanders had purple eyes, and then only rarely. How could he have a child like that, one that must have an outlander for a mother? He was no _bath’rick_. Horse-eaters had no place in his bed.

And there were no purple-eyed outlanders in Dal-Ramoth, at least to his knowledge. Privately, he worried that what he had seen had been wrong, somehow, not a true Seeing. 

He was training with his sword-brothers, enjoying the exertion, his mind focused on his actions rather than ruminating on his vision. Panting, he called for a water break, and the group walked over to the nearby offshoot of the spring which fed Dal-Ramoth. A servant brought them clay mugs, and they relaxed there in the shade of the Ol’tec tree, dipping their cups into the spring water as they conversed.

The men were talking about servant girls who they liked the look of, laughing at each other as they ribaldry joked about their… assets. This was an old joke, and it was very formulaic. 

“I’d fuck the servant of Hewola, she’s so thin I could see my own cock in her belly as I took her!” one man said, and the others laughed, giving the traditional response - “Bath-rick! Bath-rick!” they jeered.

“I’d fuck the goat herder I saw in the western pasture, she might know how to handle a beast like me!”

“Bath-rick! Bath-rick!”

“I’d fuck the new girl at the temple, her pretty purple eyes watering as she took my cock!”

Talon’s smile faltered, hearing that description. Blood rushed in his ears, the chants of his fellows dull and distant. He knew he’d have to go there. Find her. At least maybe then he could rule this vision as a farce, and confess to his family the disappointing news.


	2. Finding Farina

Farina was currently holding an infant in her arms, learning about how to care for it. A more experienced servant by the name of Alicia had shown her the ropes, instructing her on how to support the infant’s head. "They cannot hold their necks up yet, so you must do this for them. Also, if they're crying, you should try in this order: changing the diaper, rocking them back and forth and working to pacify them, or feeding them. Generally, the mothers come to the temple in regular intervals, but if the mother is not around, there is always someone who is willing to breastfeed the children. the community is kind of set up that way." 

The young woman absorbed the instructions as best as she could, taking in the sight of Alicia. She had curly black hair styled around her head like a halo, her eyes a deep brown. They were similar complexions as well. Farina was relieved that she didn't stand out too much around here, besides her bright purple eyes. Of course, she had no doubt that would mark her as an outsider almost instantaneously. 

Farina thanked her before working on tending two infants at the same time, one satisfied and sleeping peacefully in her arms while the other was reaching up to her, attempting to play with her nose. She stuck her tongue out at the child, mimicking its noises as a form of communication.

* * *

Talon strolled through the temple, walking past the open arches leading to the birthing courtyard. Some women were laboring there, naked skin glistening with sweat, though it was late in the birthing season. He thought he might stop there to watch and to pray, giving thanks for their efforts to bring new life to the community, after he was done with this fool’s errand. 

He had struck up a conversation with servantmaster, idly asking about her work. He fished for information about any new servants, and he found that there was only one placed in the temple recently: A woman named Farina. He was careful not to ask about her eyes, or even seem interested. Just in case… He hesitated to finish the thought, though it insidiously slid into his mind. 

Just in case she would become his mare during the Week of Rut. _Bath-rick_ , some cruel part of him whispered.

He made his way into the ward of the infants, where the newly-born of the Kadati lay in creches. Mothers and servants milled around, feeding and tending the many babies. There were a few fathers and older people there too, as was routine. 

His presence made a bit of a stir. He wore the standard garb of the warriors of Kadati: white tunic, matching loose linen pants, and the sash of honor. His was the blood-red of the ruling family, the Worldmounters.

He bent over a creche, picking up the infant and pulling the baby girl into his arms, tickling her tummy. He loved babies, especially chubby ones, and this one had the jolly round checks he liked. He laughed, and the baby smiled back. This one bore a yellow band across her head; she was of the Thunderchaser family. Must have been born at the start of the season, by her size.

A senior servant was working nearby, so he asked her, “There’s a servant here named Farina here. Could you point her out to me?”

The servant pointed at a figure four rows away who looked a bit uncertain as she tried to hold two infants at the same time and manage them both. She looked like a Kadati woman from afar, her skin a shade of olive and hair dark. Her body was more voluptuous than he’d seen in a while, breasts and ass prominent, nothing like bodies of Kadati women who practiced Jah’lav to stay in shape during their birthing years.

He set the chubby Thunderchaser infant back into the bed, wiggling his fingers at her in goodbye. Feeling foolish, he walked over towards Farina. He needed to see her eyes.

* * *

Farina was unsure what to do about the children in her grasp, but she started to hum a folk song from her childhood to them. While she hummed, the woman inspected each baby's headband. One was an off-white color, and another was dark purple with flowers, like a little flower crown. Surely they had some functionality? None of the babies had a sufficient amount of hair to require a headband of any sort, so....

Her thoughts were interrupted by a rustle in the crowd of woman around her. She scanned the room, noticing that plenty of women were angled toward a similar object. Turning to meet said object's gaze -- holy shit was that a muscular man. Likely a warrior, she contemplated, admiring his built muscles and intense gaze. His hair and eyebrows were thick, held back and braided by beads. Oh, and of course the white tunic and linen pants to cover them of course.....Finally, their eyes locked. She almost immediately felt a bit intimidated.

* * *

As he approached, she happened to look up at him, and their eyes locked. Purple eyes, the exact color of the babe from his vision. He resolved to get closer. 

He meandered towards her, stopping to smile or lightly touch a few of the largely happy infants on the way over. He drew near her, inclining his head in greeting. “You are a new face. Where do you hail from, outlander?”

* * *

"I am from the north....from the Amalia region," She responded nervously, floored by how he towered over her. "You are wearing a....a strap, are you not? You must be of distinguished rank?" She asked, hoping that she was intelligible and remembering the word "strap" correctly.

* * *

Her accent was thick, but he couldn’t place it. The region of Amalia had many languages spoken by its peoples. One was Umali. 

The voice from the vision haunted him, its peace tone clear in his mind. He’d have to hear her voice to know.

He was confused by her questions for a moment, trying to figure out what she meant. It dawned on him suddenly, and he decided he’d try to teach her the right word. 

“I am of distinguished rank.” he confirmed, nodding. He gestured to the red piece of fabric worn around his middle. “This is my sash. It is the color of my family, and it shows that I am the Unbroken from last season’s Trial.”

He peered at the infants in her arms, booping the awake one on the nose. This close, he could see just how full and soft her breasts were. As he bent over her, he could smell the fragrance of her hair. It was appealing. But he had to know more. “I like to sing to the infants, sometimes,” he said, trying to broach the subject gradually. “Do you know any lullabies?” 

* * *

"Sash," She repeated back to him. After processing the words, she cocked her head to the side and asked, "Unbroken? What do you mean?" Nodding her head as he responded to her, she hummed a lullaby to the cooing babies, her voice soothing and soulful. 

Her hair was draped around her breasts and the babies, one of them reaching out to tug on it. She responded with an interrupting "ow," before continuing the lullaby. She wanted to boop one of the babies too, but her arms were full. Their noses were very boopable.

* * *

He smiled as she repeated the word to him. The concept of the Trial was likely too hard to explain, though he tried to explain. “It means I was the victor. My sash is untorn. Other sashes, they’ll be stitched back together.”

As soon as he heard her voice, he knew it was the one from his vision. The mother of his first-born stood before him, if he believed this vision. In his shocked state, he absently reached out to untangle the lock of her hair from the babe’s grip. He only realized what he had done as he smoothed the lock back in place.

Touching a woman’s hair was a very intimate action among his people. He looked around to see if any of the nearby mothers were staring. 

* * *

"I see," Farina communicated that she understood. She supposed the trial was a competition of some sort, then. And he was the victor of the competition, and he was talking to her. She was a bit surprised that he was paying her so much attention. 

She was a bit more surprised when the warrior reached out and untangled her hair from the infant's chubby fingers, her purple irises curiously glinting. He almost seemed affectionate, even though they had just met. "Thanks," she murmured as an afterthought.

* * *

Talon nodded back, smiling slightly. He left her there, amid the babes of the tribe, wondering whether she’d be there breastfeeding his son in a year.

He went to make plans. She’d be his personal servant by tomorrow, where he’d be able to keep track of her. He needed to use the time before the Week of Rut began to better understand the nature of his vision.


	3. A New Servant

Farina was awoken by being shaken by a stranger, a rather rude and disorienting start to the day. The servantmaster was there as well, shaking her head. "You're being transferred," The woman elaborated, very aware who Farina was being transferred to. 

The woman worked to gather her things, and two guards stood by to escort her to her new quarters. She asked absently, "Where now?" One of the men answered in a gruff voice but with kind eyes. "To the House of the Worldmounters," He responded almost joyfully. "You are a very lucky servant."

She bowed her head in reverence, as almost an indirect thank you, before carrying a change of clothes she had brought with her over her shoulder and signaling that she was ready to head off. They escorted her out of the adobe house, one guard on either side of her.

* * *

Talon waited for Farina to be delivered to him impatiently. He was missing morning practice, something he attended religiously. It felt strange to be anywhere other than the training grounds, stretching then beginning to spar. At least he had his horse, a rare black stallion named Windchaser. He patted him on the side, smoothing his shiny coat. 

Behind him stood an old grey mare with white shoes that was owned by his family and used primarily by servants. Boots had a bit of a personality, Talon knew, but if she liked you, she’d follow your horse around town without a lead, responding to whistled commands. She whickered softly, and Talon muttered, “Steady, girl.”

The side-doors of the temple’s servants quarters were pushed open from within. Talon fidgeted with his sash slightly, pensieve, as guards came out, leading Farina. 

“I will take over here.” Many of his people kept their servants guarded or chained. The practice seemed uncivilized to him as his household did not employ such devices. The servants of the Worldmounters were prideful of their positions in the top family of Dal-Ramoth, and never ran. If they did, they would lose their position and be relegated to a lower tier of the servant caste.

He approached Farina, struck again by her eyes. “You will ride with me.” He moved to beside Boots, ready to help her mount the horse. Boots had a traditional Kadati saddle on which had no stirrups. Kadati believed that riding this way allowed for greater control and connection to your horse. He realised now that he should have procured an Umali saddle. Perhaps tomorrow, he would.

“Come, allow me to help you mount.” He said, as if he were used to being obeyed.

* * *

Farina had only really expected to be escorted by the two guards, and probably their horses, but outside remained one other person--the man with the sash whom she had met before. He was waiting almost impatiently by one of the most beautiful horses she had ever seen -- a glossy, black coat that any horse owner would be proud of, along with a muscular frame, perfect for battle.

The horse that was posted, waiting for her was an older mare, based on the stringed nature of her mane and tail. She knew that this city was very fond of horses, and that aspect made her feel at home. The Umali people were very attached to their horses as well. 

She approached the distinguished man first, stopping a few feet before him. She was not sure how to show an honorific greeting in this culture yet, so she hoped her Umali tradition would do. She gave a medium-sized bow, her hands clasped together, while quietly thanking him for the help. 

Farina moved toward the horse, noticing that the horse's saddle was stirrupless. How would she mount without stirrups? She supposed that she could just throw her leg over, but the woman was wearing a dress! Unsure of the situation, she padded from foot to foot in front of him while eyeing the saddle. "How do I mount?" She didn't mean to sound as if she was unfamiliar with horses, but she didn't know the Kitadi word for "stirrup." She followed up, trying to communicate to him, "They do not have...." And she motioned to the side of the saddle, trying to outline a stirrup for him. She muttered, " _ Rukkabi....? Murda _ ." (stirrups...? Shit.)

* * *

Talon could see her confusion, which was expected. He crouched to the ground, cupping his hands before himself, low to the ground. “Place your foot in my hands, I will boost you up.” 

This was something traditionally done for pregnant women who could no longer manage the vaulting jump into the Kadati saddle. It was common to assist any woman on the street this way, and he had no qualms with doing it for Farina.

* * *

"Ah," She answered with an epiphany. Did they do it this way for everyone? Or just outsiders? Nodding, her hands on his shoulder for support while stepping into his hand as expected. 

As she was a horse-rider herself, she confidently balanced while pushing up into his hand, one hand on the saddle while kicking her other leg over his body, landing in the saddle, albeit a little unevenly. It wasn't the feminine way she was supposed to board the saddle in Amalia, but it succeeded in getting her on the saddle with little difficulty. She hoped she had not shined him -- although her wrap was long and that should not have been much of a problem. 

Nodding her thanks, she got used to the horse under her saddle, petting the mare's neck and trying to gain a bit of rapport with her. Turning the horse toward him, she nodded and readied herself to follow beside him.

* * *

She went into the saddle easily, with an air of familiarity. She had to have been riding in her life before Dal-Ramoth. After she settled there, he said, “Follow me. We ride to my home.”

After she nodded in assent, he mounted his horse with a confident vault into the saddle, posting his body up with one hand on the pommel. It was an advanced mounting style, a bit flashy, mainly used by the warriors. 

Windchaser whinnied underneath him, ready, and so Talon set off, Boots following automatically a length behind.

* * *

Well that was hot--and also very show-offy, She thought while watching him mount that saddle. World-mounter, huh. Rationally, she knew automatically that she should purge thoughts like that; there was absolutely no chance he would take sexual (or romantic) interest in her. She was an outsider, and a servant at that. But man, did he have nice muscles. 

Once Boots took off under her, she unsteadily gasped out a, "Woah!" The horse didn't even blink in response, trotting after the man like Farina wasn't even on top of her. What a rude horse. Then again, the horse and she were absolute strangers, so she was not surprised. Farina leaned forward in the saddle, assuming a riding stance and tucking her legs tight to the horse's torso for stability. She held on a tuft of mane-hair at the back like she would if Boots were an Umali horse. At least this way it would be hard for the horse to shake her off. 

After about ten minutes, the cave-side houses started to blend together, all dwarfed by a larger complex in the distance.

* * *

They arrived at the Worldmounter compound. From the front, it looked like any other large family home in Dal-Ramoth, its adobe walls tall, built into an overhang of the red rock cliffs. Red banners hung around the main door to the inner courtyard and the gates were open. He rode in, nodding to some of the passing servants. He did not look back, hearing the steady footsteps of Boots behind him. 

He led them around the well in the center of the courtyard, carefully avoiding a group of children playing with hoops and fake swords. There were a few female servants drawing water which looked up at him, then at Farina, expressions shocked. 

The family’s stables were right on the courtyard, dominating one side. He dismounted, handing the reins of his horse to a youth of his family. Servants could care for their own horses and pack animals, but only Kadati would care for their own mounts. 

He turned to Boots and Farina, who stood just behind him, Boots patiently waiting. 

To Farina, he called, “We are here. Can you slide down?”

* * *

While admiring the compound before them, Farina caught sight of the women and children surrounding them. Based on their clothes, the woman could not tell their caste. She smiled briefly, wishing wistfully that that would be the case someday for at least one society. 

Her smile fell off her face like a pot crashing into the ground when she noticed other women gaping at her in shock. Their wraps were similarly dully colored and simplistic, which signaled to her that they were also servants. Why were they staring at her like that? Did she do something wrong? Was it the way she was riding her horse, straddling it like a man? In Amalia it was entirely normal for women to ride horses like that, but she was not used to the customs of this area. 

Boots stopped abruptly in response to the larger man dismounting. Farina, however, was prepared this time. She made only a small, "oof" sound, but was not destabilized from the sudden stop. In response to his request, she silently nodded before leaning forward on the saddle, kicking her leg back over and landing on the ground like a gymnast before standing back up and folding her hands in front of her.

* * *

He was gratified to see her dismount easily, even gracefully. Riding style was important to the Kidati, and she was performing admirably. 

“We will go to my quarters. Walk with me.” He stepped back into the sunny courtyard, ruffling the hair of a passing boy. The servants at the well were whispering excitedly to each other, casting furtive looks at Talon and Farina. He had expected this, the jealousy of the other servantwomen. It was an honor to be chosen as a personal servant to someone as high ranking as he was. In the past, he had seen the others become cruel to his father’s Chosen. He hoped they would not dare act on their feelings, but if they did, he would see to it that they were punished.

He proceeded past the many doors and openings to a section of bare rock wall. It looked solid, but as you drew closer it became clear that there were actually two nearly-butting rock faces, a trail in between. The trail was perhaps wide enough for the breath of a single horse.

He paused at its opening, looking back at Farina.

* * *

Farina felt the gazes of jealous women on her back, the whispers laced with malice. They were too far away for her to understand them, but she did not need to to understand what they were saying. The purple-eyed servant looked ahead, walking confidently behind her new master. It was her business to fulfill the wishes of who she belonged to now, so the others would have to get used to her eventually. 

At first, she thought he was leading her to a dead end, but as they approached the vast adobe wall, it was evident that two rocks were barely touching, a small crack in between them, just enough for a horse. That must be the path. She met his gaze as an equal a second with questioning before looking back down respectfully and nodding to him.


	4. In the Grotto

“We will follow the path. Watch out for snakes, they sometimes lie on the warm rocks in the morning.” Without waiting for a reply, he set off at a pace slower than he would normally, making sure Farina stayed with him. 

The trail was rather short, yet long enough that the winding path curled so that you could not see back into the courtyard. For a moment, the trail felt claustrophobic, the walls hemmed them in on seamingly all sides. 

Then, they reached the opening to the grotto, the jewel of his family’s compound. The cliffs encircled a large clearing, a small, feeble waterfall trickling down the east face of the cliffs, feeding a pool of water. The greenery was lush close to the water with even a few shady Ol’tec trees. 

There was a stone-tiled area between the pool and the two-story adobe building huddled against the western face. The tiled area had a few scattered training dummies set up, some of which needed repair, and an archery target. 

The building itself was ordinary, except for one feature: It had a shaded porch made of wood wrapping around its front. Wood was a scarce material in their environment, so wood was rarely used excessively. It was a sign of the wealth of the Worldmounters.

As he walked into the light, he saw the hunting cat that preferred his companionship traversing down the cliffs to greet him. Its name was Shadowclaw, and it was an older male that he had known since childhood. The cats could climb up and down nearly-sheer walls of these mountains with their harded claws. They were not exactly pets, as you could not keep them in a house or restrict their movements, but they were trained to hunt and retrieve small game and frequently traveled with the groups of Kidati which roamed their territory, forming hunting prides with structures of their own.

“Do not fear,” he said to Farina as the goat-sized cat bounded up to them, coming to a stop barely within arms reach. He took a chance at petting Shadowclaw’s head for a moment, and the cat butted his head into his hand. 

* * *

Farina admired the environment around her with reverence. What a beautiful place, hidden away from the rest of the city. No wonder the man lived here instead of with the rest of the compound -- she could see its appeal, unassisted. She marveled at the waterfall and ample foliage, her voice soft as she commented, "It is so beautiful." 

Looking around, she noticed the training dummies. In Amalia, it was custom for women to learn self defense in the case that an enemy of the Ashkha (how the Umali people referred to themselves) tried to raid them. Many people figured it would be easier to attack women, so there was a special coalition of women soldiers in her hometown of combat-trained women who were to teach the rest that the women Ashkha were not to be fucked with. Farina hoped, although with much reservation, that her master would allow her to practice on the training dummies from time to time. 

Based on the women she had seen, it was hard to determine what their primary role was. Obviously bearing children mattered a lot to these people -- the amount of babies she had seen in the temple had dwarfed her initial expectations, but women were not always pregnant. She supposed she would come to know the culture soon enough. 

The cat wandered up to her, and she remained still. "Do not fear," her master had said to her, but the cat was approximately her size, if not a little bit smaller. A hunting cat, she assumed. Farina figured it would be best to let him sniff her first, as a greeting. Her smell was likely unfamiliar. She slowly reached out her hand, cupping it and letting the cat sniff at the top of her knuckles. After a moment, he decided to gently headbutt her hand as well. She gave a wholesome little smile, rubbing behind his ears affectionately.

* * *

“He likes you. That is good.” Talon gently pet Shadowclaw’s shoulder, happy to feel that the cat still felt strong. “He’s picky, known to be shy. His name is Shadowclaw. Sometimes he leaves us presents on the porch, fresh kills. You should take anything he leaves to the kitchens.” 

Giving the cat a little pat, he straightened, saying, “I’ll have Yassir show you around the whole compound later. For now, we will see my quarters.” 

He led her toward the building, stepping up onto the porch. There was a table and chairs there, but he ignored them, pressing the door open.

* * *

Farina was slightly even impressed with the layout of the house itself. She didn;'t expect it to be as large as it was, with both ample living and storage space, and an upstairs. Back in her hometown, there was only one or two rooms to a house, at least for people of her caste. Then again....he seemed like royalty here. 

The living space contained a table with nonperishable goods, and many furs lying on the ground. It was stylistically decorated. Over to the right of them was a door, and the hulking warrior motioned for her to follow him over to it. She padded over to the door and peered inside. It seemed to be a storage room, filled with little more than chests and goods. "This is a storage room?" She asked.

* * *

“Yes, it is.” He walked into the tight space, and looked over the items on the wall shelves and the few large chests. “Good. Yassir must have been here since I left this morning. The shelves are fully stocked, and I expect them to stay that way. You will be charged with keeping the room stocked with goods from regular trips to the market.” He reached out and jingled a bag of coin hanging from a hook in the wall.

“You will take money with you from here to pay for your purchases. If it runs low, inform me.”

He turned to a medium-sized chest on the floor, unlatching and opening it. “You may place your belongings in here.”

* * *

She nodded and unslung the little pack of her belongings from around her armpit and attached to her back. She bent over in front of the chest, opening it up and placing her bag in there. There wasn't much to unpack -- she had a few earrings for special occasions, a change of clothes, and some rags for her monthly bleeding.

Once situated, the girl closed the chest and stood back up, waiting to follow him.

* * *

He watched as Farina bent over the chest, their bodies quite close. He had an exceptional view of her figure, her thick curves and luscious backside presented to him. She looked so fertile, so breedable. He accepted the thought as natural, since the Kidati were known to prefer a bit of flesh to their women, a quality rare among the populace. He had not had thoughts about the fertility of a servant before though, and wondered about the change.

He took note of how limited and relatively shabby her clothes were, remarking absently, “You will need to purchase more suitable clothes. Those are not fine enough for my body servant.”

He squeezed past her to exit the room, walking up the narrow staircase to his bedroom. He called back to her, “Come up here.”

* * *

The term puzzled her almost immediately. body servant? Nodding in agreement, she took a mental note to head to the market and buy more suitable clothes for a servant of a man of his stature. Maybe she could talk to Alicia later about helping her pick out something appropriate. 

The new servant followed him earnestly, asking, "What is a body servant?" as an afterthought. They made their way up the stairs to his bedroom. What ample space this was!


	5. Her Duties

“A body servant is a personal servant with a few extra duties.” He walked to the table and chairs in front of the fireplace, sitting down. “You may sit,” he said to her, gesturing to the other chair. He figured that this might be a harder conversation than those they have had thus far.

“Your duties will include mending and washing my clothes, fetching me food, water, wine or anything else I desire, tending my fires at night, keeping the storage room stocked and generally keeping my rooms tidy.”

He looked her in the eye, knowing that what he said next might be unexpected. “As my body servant, you are also tasked with tending to my wounds, if I have any, washing and braiding my hair, and ritually bathing me.”

* * *

"I see," she said, taking in the list of duties she was responsible for. She sat down in the chair, tallying out a daily schedule that she could attend to to help ingratiate herself into her new role. 

Menial chores were expected -- washing clothes and fetching food, maintaining the temperature of the house, and stocking and cleaning the rooms. Farina did not think twice about any of these -- she was already used to performing them. 

She met his eye, as expected while he continued to rattle off duties. Tending to wounds would not be too difficult -- she had acquired quite a few herself due to combat training, so hopefully she would do a good job of this. The second part was much more unexpected. He didn't....want to wash himself?

Speechless for a second, she asked him, "With all due respect, Master...do you not want to wash yourself? Or is that a custom of your people, to be washed by servants?"

* * *

Talon sat forward in his chair, glad that she was able to ask him questions. “It is part of our religious tradition. A Kidati man of breeding age must avoid touching his own body overmuch, especially when preparing for the start of a new Season, as I am. It is thought to displease our gods.”

* * *

"Ah! see," she responded with an understanding smile. "That makes sense. Thank you for telling me ahead of time," She said with a respectful bow of her head.

* * *

He nodded back. “I will ride out with my men for a week every month. During this time you may be given other duties around the compound.” 

He stood, going to the door to the currently-empty chamber for his Chosen. “This is where the woman I chose for the next Season will keep her possessions. You will also be expected to clean her rooms and obey her commands as well.”

* * *

Bowing obediently, she took note of the empty room. So he would be taking a woman as his partner for the next season. It would be important to know when such a thing starts. "When would I expect her to move in? Or, equivalently, when is the start of that season?" She asked, hoping that she did not sound disrespectful in any way. Was she supposed to call him master, or sir?

* * *

“Season starts in two and a half moons. The Week of Rut starts then, with the Choosing Festival. My woman will move her belongings in not long after that.” He motioned her to leave the room, and he closed the door behind him.

He walked to a pile of furs near the fireplace. “You will sleep here, on these furs. There are heavy blankets in the wardrobe if the night is cold. You may use them.” 

* * *

She confirmed that she understood. She was unsure what the word "Rut" meant, but she was certain he was talking about a holiday, along with the Choosing Festival afterward. It made sense. She supposed she would learn more about both holidays by experience. 

She followed him over, inspecting the furs. Her eyes raised to him, she thanked him profusely for the warm covering. He was treating her quite nicely for a servant, and she appreciated it.

* * *

Talon nodded at her thanks, slightly surprised. Did she expect worse treatment? But she really must be new to Dal-Ramoth if other servants had not told her of the castes.

He smiled, saying, “It is no matter. Come, you will mend and wash clothes until Yassir is free enough to show you the rest of the compound.” 

Pointing to a pile of clothing in a basket, he said, “These are the clothes. There are sewing notions in the supply room. You may work where you wish, always, and you have freedom to move about the city. You will have your own dedicated horse to help you travel easier.”

He cast her a hard look, frowning. “You will remember your place as a servant and not attempt to escape. The desert surrounding the city is very deadly and dry. You would perish trying to cross. We do not bother chasing those foolish enough to attempt such a thing.”

* * *

Farina nodded to his words, unsurprised by anything he said. She stood but he basket, waiting for him to release her to her duties. She supposed other servants had tried to escape -- she knew the desert lands well -- there was little escape without a caravan and many provisions. "I understand," she confirmed, a little excited that she would be given a horse! What would her horse look like? Be like? Would it be trained? 

After a second, she remembered the detail about the archery and swordplay dummies. weaving her fingers together, she asked, "Am I allowed to use the combat dummies outside? I am unsure how common or uncommon it is for women here to practice self defense, but it is common where I am from. I would be most grateful if you allowed me to, sir."

* * *

“Women here learn a discipline of hand-to-hand combat known as Sharh-Forna. They do not use weapons, though. I ask that you not touch those in my quarters.” He paused, contemplating her request. A strong servant was a good servant, and a strong Chosen even better.

“You may exercise and use the training dummies in the courtyard so long as your duties are kept up. I expect you to wash and change clothes after, though. You must always look the part of your station. Also, do not get in my way if I am training. I would not want to injure you.” 

He grimaced slightly, “Do not speak of this to the other servants. I am indulging you slightly.”

“I am going to train now. I will require a bath afterwards, so I will find you once I am finished.” He was looking forward to it, frankly, the way the woman would touch him, her purple eyes on his body.

“Get to work!” he called back at her as he went downstairs and out to the courtyard.

* * *

"Of course, thank you very much, sir!" She called after him, overwhelmed with joy that she would be allowed to use the training equipment even though she would not be allowed to use the weapons. She would have to ask the other women (once she befriended a few, hopefully) about Sharh-Forna. 

Once he had left, she picked up the basket and set off to mend and wash his clothes.

She figured it would be best to mend them first, because washing mended clothes only tended to widen any rips or tears. Much of the house was well-kept and beautiful, but she could see the intensity of the sunlight seeping in from outside. It would be much more pleasant to sew his clothes on the porch. Grabbing some sewing supplies and matching threads, she set out with the basket in hand. 

When he said he would train, she had thought he was talking about with other warriors. That was not the case-- he seemed to be setting up to train on one of the dummies out in the field in front of her. Shrugging, she sat down in a chair on the porch, enjoying the fresh air of being outside. Farina worked the threads hesitantly but meticulously -- she was new to sewing, but her stitches looked pretty even.

* * *

Talon picked up his favorite weapon, a scimitar with some gilding on the base of its blade and over its hilt. It was called the Dawndarkener, a gift from his father after a successful raid on their enemies to the north. He had led the attack for the first time in his life. He smiled, happy to be able to go through the forms of Marh-Forna, the armed combat that men typically trained in.

It was an artful discipline, with a lot of style and athletics necessary to perform it properly. It was most known for leaping strikes and artful, quick slashes, but there were many moves that required the swordsman to get on the ground, rolls and dodging dives as well as leg sweeps.

He started with a simple series of slices with his blade, reviewing the basics, before moving into more complex moves. The sun beat down on him as he worked up a sweat, blade gleaming in the early-afternoon light.

* * *

Stitching the fabric together, Farina watched her master in awe. The command with which he handled his sword and his body was extraordinary. No wonder he was considered one of the best warriors. In martial arts, the command of one's body was possibly the most important aspect of the sport, allowing for one to confidently aim a limb at their target. 

A pang of jealousy wrought her -- she missed being able to command a sword and a bow. But at least this man was indulging her by letting her practice combat on his supplies; that was more than she had expected. Mesmerized by the man's form and movements, she accidentally poked her own finger with the needle, letting out a surprised noise before turning herself back to her work.

* * *

He looked up at the small sound, halting his motions for a moment. Ah, Farina was on the porch, dutifully mending his clothes. He caught her looking up at him for an instant, and when their eyes met, he gave a fierce smile, launching into more difficult techniques, leaping, dodging, rolling, as fast as he could, really pushing himself.

He loved the discipline, but he loved performing it before an audience better. 

* * *

The fierceness of his smile caused her to blush a little bit and direct her head downward immediately with a bit of a smile. Of course, right after, he launched into more ferocious techniques that allowed him to show off his combat technique to her. What a performer, she thought to herself, shaking her head a little bit. 

The woman finished up the current piece of cloth, satisfied with her handiwork. To secure the string, she tied a little not next to the stitching end and broke it off with her teeth before moving onto the next.

* * *

After he grew tired from keeping up the hard pace he had set, Talon slowed his motions and set down his sword, moving into a series of stretches to keep his muscles flexible and healthy. 

As he finished, he stripped off his sweaty white tunic, walking up to Farina on the porch.

“Stop mending. I require a bath. Take a bar of soap, a wash rag, and some towels, and meet me at the pool.”

Upon finishing his pronouncement, he turned away, walking towards the pool and stopping at a spot clear of reeds on the bank, stripping out of his sash and pants. He waded into the water, to cool off and wait for Farina. 


	6. The Ritual Bath

"Yes sir," She responded in a moment, placing the cloth back in the basket and placing it inside after he left. She grabbed the necessary items, holding them against her breasts in a pile, before setting out to head to the pool outside. Seeing his form in the distance, she placed the items down on a nearby stump and tied up her wrap as if it was a shorter skirt instead of a dress. That would allow her to bathe him more easily. 

After fixing her dress, she picked up the soap and rag again before rushing out to tend to him.

* * *

He heard Farina splash into the water behind him. He turned, wading back into shallower water, his cock revealed as he moved. He was not ashamed of his nakedness, proud of his body and his cock, which he knew quite big, sized proportionately to his frame.

As they met in knee-height water, he instructed her. “You will begin by washing me from the top to the bottom, from my shoulder to my ankles and feet. There are no specific motions required. You need not wash my hair or face now, as I prefer to wash and re-braid my hair only every three days. Leave my spear alone until after you wash the rest of me.” Spear was the common term for a man’s cock. He wasn’t sure if she would know it.

He waited for her to begin, watching her reaction closely.

* * *

"Spear?" She asked awkwardly, averting her eyes from his large cock and focusing instead on the sheen of his face. Man, he was just....larger than she thought possible, both his dick and his body in general. Man. 

She moved the soap across his collarbone, working the soap into his shoulders and pec muscles. She worked diligently, holding his hand to lift his arm away from his body while working soap into that arm. After a moment, she dipped the washcloth into the water and rubbed down the areas she had soaped, curious about what a spear was. Surely he wasn't talking about the-- oh. Wait. Maybe he meant....

* * *

She took to the task of washing him without complaint. Perhaps it was a good choice, buying such a low-ranking slave for this. Even those with specialized training were not as smart or compliant. Or as good at bathing. Her pressure and motions were smooth and businesslike, and he found himself looking forward to her “sharpening his blade.” How would her touch differ? Would it be as firm as it is now? Or would she hesitate, her grip soft?

He was looking down at her with hooded eyes, cock stiffening. 

* * *

She continued her way down his body, finishing his upper body first and ragging it down. Given that she was angled slightly downward, working on his midsection, it was impossible for her not to notice that his intimidatingly large cock was stiffening. That was the only thing she could assume he meant by "spear." 

Farina put on her poker face and pretended not to notice his meat starting to inflate, turning her attention to his thigh and legs. She bathed and soaped them one at a time, bending down to work them. She was very careful to avoid physical contact with his dick.

* * *

He was growing impatient, but such was the way of things. The anticipation made the release sweeter, he knew, so he kept still as she washed his abs and his legs, happy that she was not touching his cock yet. She had figured out what he meant, then.

He tried to think of what exactly he would say when directing the next steps.

* * *

Farina moved to the back of his body, assuming he wanted his ass clean as well. She always washed her ass. It was the grossest part of the human in terms of hygiene. Farina spread his ass cheeks by moving one to the side, working the soap into his but crack and below before ragging it over as well. She rinsed it off twice just to make sure --- she always hated accidentally leaving soap there when bathing herself. 

Coming over to the front, she set her sight on his cock, unsure exactly what to do next. "This is your spear, um...right?" She asked him to confirm her suspicion before continuing.

* * *

He was thankful that she washed his ass without prompting. It was considered shameful to be out in public while smelling bad, and a slave unwilling to wash her master properly would cause that. 

He nodded at her when she looked at his cock, asking about its name. “Your people, they might call it a penis. Ours are bigger, we call them spears.” His expression turned mirthful at his joke.

Sobering, though, he knew he needed to tell her what to do. “Using water to wet my spear, you will use your hands to stroke it until I make my offering to the gods. You will wash it afterwards.”

His cock throbbed then, and Talon knew he would have to hold back so as to make this first encounter last.

* * *

"O-oh," She responded in surprise. If she was not alone with him, she would have bitten her tongue instead of retorting, "You don't know how big our men's dicks are!" To be fair, she also did not know the size of anyone's dick from her hometown. She had never really had any opportunity to interact with many of the men since she was one of the female warriors. 

Farina tucked the bar of soap wrapped in her rag under her armpit to keep it stationary while she performed the deed. She didn't exactly expect to have to jerk him off, but...if this was customary...

Farina nodded and did as he commanded -- she used water to wet it, and she worked to tug it back and forth. She was quite inexperienced, so she tried to keep her touch soft with it until she got the hand of the motion required to finish him off. Internally, the girl marveled at how large and erect the man's cock already was before she had even touched it. She wouldn't even begin to think on why that was. 

She tightened her grip on it just a little bit for stability. It was kind of weird, how she could feel his organ pulsing in her hands.

* * *

He huffed out a laugh at her reply. Most servants would not dare to sass their owners in this way. He might have to warn her about that if they ever go out together into the city.

When she touched him, though, her motions were light and almost teasing, rhythm not one that would work for him. He was considering how to tell her to improve as she suddenly squeezed his cock harder, at what was a good pressure. He gasped.

“Like that,” he said. “Use more pressure, like that.” 

* * *

She looked at his face, gauging his response. That seemed to be an improvement on whatever she was doing before. Noting in her head that she was to use medium pressure, she worked his shaft up and down in her hand. 

"Sorry, I should not have said that," She quietly responded to his almost restrained laugh. She was not supposed to have said that. She would never dare to do so in public, of course. That would be disrespectful. She crouched a little so that her arm would be more comfortable while working him up and down in her hand. 

In the back of her mind, she did register that....this was affecting her a bit. But she was determined not to admit that -- she was his, as he said, "body servant," and that was it. She kept that in mind while jacking him off.

* * *

As her bright eyes looked up at him, he was reminded of his vision. Ignoring the image in his head, he replied to her, “As long as you confine your remarks to just myself, when we are alone, I am happy to hear you speak your mind.”

As she crouched slightly, he remembered something he had heard. “There are stories of talented body servants using their mouths when doing this, though I do not expect it from you.”

He had had enough of delay. He reached down and placed his hand on hers, trying to avoid contact with himself. “Hear, let me show you how the motion must be done.” He slid her hand down his cock to the head, fast, before showing her how to twist the head slightly, the way he liked it. His breath hitched at the first motion, and he slid her hand back to the base of his cock. He guided her three times before releasing her hand.

“Keep going,” he gasped out. “I will make my offering soon.”

* * *

She was quite pleased that the remark had not gone over with him badly in any way. He liked servants to speak their mind -- a very admirable quality in a leader. 

Once she heard his comment, she was a little bit shocked, a shiver reaching down her sound and settling deep in her core. Her clit started to throb at the thought of getting on her knees for him, sticking her tongue out for his load. Why did thoughts like this infiltrate her brain? She decided to outwardly ignore it. 

Once he grabbed her hand and started to jerk himself furiously, she adjusted herself to his side so that it would be a less awkward angle for him. It seemed that he particularly liked a twisting motion at her head, and more pressure there. She worked his dick back and forth as he showed her, repeating the twist at the right time.

* * *

The pressure inside him was mounting; she was working him just right. Oh, he was going to come. He loved the sight of her touching him, but needed something … more. He couldn’t help but reach down and roughly yank her by the hair to bring her face right in front of his cock. He spurted out his seed over her lips and chin, trying at least somewhat to avoid her eyes. He watched her purple eyes open and peer up at him, and he was unsure what to expect.

* * *

She at first winced, hoping none of it would get in her eyes, the thick come covering her lips and her chin. Half of her face was simply covered in the odorous semen, and internally she was absolutely humiliated and mortified. Without a warning or anything?! 

As absolutely inappropriate as the action was, it only amplified the way her clit was throbbing in between her legs from the entire situation. She gasped out a breath afterward, trying to back up a little at least. However, when she opened her mouth, a few drops dripped from her lips onto her tongue and she had little choice but to swallow the salty liquid.

She didn't have the audacity to look up at him after that, but her eyes just naturally drifted up there. She was trying to understand....servants just....let their masters do that? That was allowed?! Her cunt only pulsed more fervently in response.

* * *

As he let go of her hair, he watched his semen drip from her chin, raptly. Quite pleased with their interaction, and with his orgasm, he felt relaxed enough to simply stand there, staring at her. 

When she gasped, a few droplets of his come slid into her mouth. He felt even more pleased as she didn’t spit it out. He hated spitters.

Pulling the washcloth from under her arm, he wet it and began wiping the come from her face.

He did it unthinkingly, and as he realized how appropriate it was for a man of his stature to be washing a servant, his dabs stopped. He held the washcloth out to her. “Clean yourself, then wash my spear. Be gentle.”

  
  



	7. Light the Flame

Blinking rapidly twice, she let herself recover from the shock of him cumming on her face? and then trying to wipe it off?? before taking the washcloth. She cleaned herself off quickly, resolving to take a shower afterward because....taste, yeah. 

Without hesitation, she dipped it in the water again, pushing the semen out of the cloth, and worked to clean him off in a businesslike fashion. After she was done, Farina rose back to her feet and backed out of the water, working to rinse the excess out of the cloth. Her eyes remained down while she worked.

* * *

He really liked this servant. Her attitude pleased him, but when she averted her eyes, he felt a sense of wrongness. He reached down, tilting her head up with a light touch.

“I prefer that you look at me, not avert your eyes. Only a fool would look away from a warrior like myself. Do not bow, or kneel, or call me “sir” or “master.” I am Talon Worldmounter, and my name means more than that of a mere appellation.” 

Satisfied with his speech, he let her go. “You have done well. Go back to work on my clothes. We are done here.”

He took a few steps backward in the water, then strode away into the deeper end of the pool, intent on going for a swim.

* * *

She stared up at him, taking note of his instructions, but at the same time she struggled to be able to meet them. How was she not supposed to feel ashamed of him coming on her face? How was she supposed to look him in the eye? They weren't lovers. She supposed she would have to get over it later (probably after masturbating), and think about it. Would this be a regular thing? He acted so casual about the entire process, so she suspected that the answer was yes. "Yes, Talon," She responded, bowing her head a little before remembering not to do so. His name was more than an appellation. 

She headed off to the house once again, trying to remember where she had left the basket of clothes.

* * *

After his swim, Talon had gone into the house, nodding simply at Farina as he passed her on the porch. He made his way to the bedroom, and settled in to take a short nap.

When he awoke, the sky was turning a light pink. He’d slept longer than he planned. 

He made his way down to the main room, picking up a bowl of dried fruit from the table. He carried it out to where Farina sat, still mending his clothes. 

He placed the bowl onto the table beside her, sinking into the other chair. He took a fig from the bowl and popped it into his mouth, chewing for a minute. “You’re losing your light, you know,” he said to Farina.

* * *

It was later in the day, and Farina was almost done mending talon's clothes. All she really had to do was to wash them and hang them on a drying rack. Hopefully that would be done before -- what was his name? Yassir? Would arrive and show her around. She noted to herself that she should take inventory stock to make sure what was considered "full", and what she would need to replace. 

Farina looked up at the man eating a fig beside her. "What do you mean, my light?" She asked quizzically, her bright gaze locked on him.

* * *

Nodding to the sky, Talon said, “It’s getting dark. Yassir will be here soon. I will walk with you both back to the compound, since I have business there myself.” 

“Do you know how to light a torch?”

* * *

She lowered her eyebrows in confusion, unsure if she knew how to light a torch their way. "By using a...rock...stone...stone for fire...? The word...I don't know it." Flint, she was looking for the word flint in Kitadi. She would use a flint to light the top of a torch and bang it against a stone to create a spark right next to the wood.

* * *

“With flint and steel. These can be found in the storage room, along with torches that can be mounted in stands out here.” He gestured to the pillars holding up the porch’s roof. 

“You will need a torch to make the walk back to the compound in the dark. I do not recommend going out into the city at night, though.”

“Go and fetch a torch, with the flint and steel. I can help you light it if you need.”

* * *

"Yes..." She nodded vigorously, pointing metaphorically to the word flint. "Flint! That is the word. Okay, got it. I will go fetch the torch." Pulling the basket with her, she cursorily placed it inside before heading to the storage cabin. Once she found what she was looking for, she exited the house with the torce, flint, and steel.

* * *

As she returned, he said, “Do you want to light it yourself? I can demonstrate, if you are unfamiliar.”

* * *

"I got it," She answered him. At once, the girl sat down on her butt, pushing the wooden torch in between her thighs. She slid the flint and stone together with force, making a crackling sound and creating a spark. Within a second, the torch was lit. Subsequently she placed both objects on the table before taking the torch out from between her legs and standing up.

She turned to the man with her torch in hand.

* * *

She was clearly capable, having lit the torch in one go. He wondered about her past.“You are very proficient. What did you do, in your time in Amalia?”

* * *

"I was a blacksmith, and I was part of a special coalition of women who were combat trained in case the village was raided while the men were in battle," She answered matter-of-factly. It was a common occurrence in Amalia for women to do the forging and crafting, even if they were hard manual work and dangerous. Blacksmithing also gave her the strength and knowledge of weapons to wield them in battle.

* * *

He nodded, murmuring, “Little warrior,” at her, with warmth in his tone. Thinking it over, maybe he could add overseeing the maintenance of his weapons to the list of her duties. In the future, after seeing her work. Looking out across the field to the south, he saw Yassir come into the grotto. 

He stood, taking the torch from Farina and sticking it into a stand. “Come,” he said, setting off to greet the head servant of the Worldmounters.


	8. A Tour

The little nickname maybe should have been condescending to her, but instead made her blush a little. He called her a warrior -- she was slightly surprised he considered her one. 

Nodding in obedience, she followed the lanky man named Yassir toward the larger part of the compound and out of her private living quarters. She tried to purge earlier thoughts of her mind and focus on memorizing the map of the compound. 

They made their way past the tiny path in between the two rocks, the sun setting behind them. Their shadows lengthened against the ground, and Farina was quite glad that Talon had reminded her to light a torch before leaving. They passed through the courtyard on their way to the stables, a drinking trough for horses next to it. On her way, Farina marveled at the way the droplets of water sparked in the setting sunlight, creating a beautiful contrast against the adobe behind it. 

Within a few minutes, they were at the stables for the complex.

* * *

While they walked back to the compound, Yassir nattered on about household matters. He was a bit of a worrywort, always bending any ear he could to tell them about his problems. But he ran the compound well, so everyone was patient with him.

The courtyard was still and quiet. It was time to eat the evening meal, so most of the house would be in the dining hall. They came to the stables, and Talon took the lead. He called back to Farina, “I have some business with my father, so I will not show you the whole compound. I wanted to show you your horse.” As he spoke, he made his way through the well-maintained facility, the smells of hay and manure strong in the air.

He stopped at a stall near the end of the row. “Come look,” Talon said, “An old friend, I think.”

* * *

Once she saw who was in the stall near the end of the row, she grimaced at the face of Boots staring back at her. Ah, this dumb hoe--she meant, this horse who was probably quite nice to people she liked, such as Talon, but who refused to even acknowledge her existence. Even now, Boots was happily whinnying at Talon and completely ignoring her. Farina deadpanned a bit. "She does seem not like me, but I will do my best to work with her."

* * *

Talon smirked at her, glad that he had chosen Boots. Farina seemed to need a challenge, plus Boots really was a good horse. “I must take my leave. Ride well,” he said, walking away in the direction of his father’s quarters. As he left, he realized he had used the Kidait goodbye for leaving your swordbrothers. Why had he said that? And in front of Yassir? 

* * *

Farina nodded in acknowledgement at him, returning the goodbye. After letting the word leave her mouth, she realized that she was unfamiliar with it. She might have asked Yassir about its significance in comparison to a normal goodbye, but Yassir struck her as a tight-lipped servant when it came to matters of other people and etiquette....not so much about his own matters. 

Turning to Yassir, she changed the topic to him. "So, how do you like working at this compound? There seems to be a lot to do here, and many people to socialize with."

* * *

“The Worldmounter family and its compound are the pride of Dal-Ramoth. You and all the servants here should be proud of your station.” He cast a hard look at her. “You are a servant. We do not socialize, and we do our jobs.”

“I will show you the parts of the compound that you may need in your duties, nothing more. You should not go wandering about.” He began to walk away, not waiting for her.

“I shall show you to the dining hall, first.” He crossed the courtyard and walked into a hallway.

* * *

".....Okay," She replied after a delay, cocking an eyebrow and turning her head to look at him. Remind me not to try to be friendly, She thought to herself before following Yassir to the dining hall. 

The dining hall seemed normal enough -- huge, much bigger than she had ever seen, but that was not surprising -- the entire complex was gigantic. Many people lived here. Yassir pointed out that there were two sections, one for servants and another for the Kitadi. Both served themselves from a long buffet-style table and sat at arranged high tables. 

Next was the kitchen -- there were three ovens in a row, a line of adjacent containers for storing dirty dishes and corresponding washing stations; some of the cooks were cutting meat or vegetables while others were cooking and seasoning them over the fire. In the back was a smaller section where chefs were rolling dough and preparing other baked goods, like pastries. They passed through without bothering the scene. 

Next was the industrial-style cleaning room. It seemed that the dishes were hauled off to here from the adjacent room, which made sense based on how they were set up next to the door that led here. Many maids were running around with clothes or stationed at washboards, their hands and forearms significantly lighter than the rest of their bodies from washing things all the time. There was a door leading to the outside that was open, out of which she could see a distant drying rack. There were a few tables in the back set up for folding clothes. Once one maid spotted her, it was over. 

One looked up and signaled to the rest with a comment directly at her. "Oh, it's you." Others then rose to see what she meant, instantly understanding when they saw farina's purple eyes. She could feel the room tense up, the energy growing stagnant while some of the maids looked her up and down. Others whispered among each other. Farina figured they might be jealous that she was picked to be Talon's personal maid, but she couldn't know for sure. Yassir hurried them out of the cleaning room, following behind her but making some sort of comment in a nasty tone barely behind her back. Farina rolled her eyes, irritated that her tour guide couldn't at least be nice while doing his job. 

He then leapt ahead of her, showing her over to the servant quarters. They reached a dead end, the hallway splitting into two separate symmetrical ones. Yassir pointed to the left and said, "Here is where the servants’ quarters are." Pointing to the right, he said, "Here is where the members of the family reside. Do not bother them, and do not go in there." With that, he concluded his tour and motioned to the servant quarters briefly. "If you need me at any point, my office is the first room on the left down this hall. I am in charge of servant affairs." 

And with that, he left her right where she was standing, pretentiously waving in her direction and ending their contact with, "Talon's quarters are that way," while pointing in some direction. 

Sighing, Farina worked her way slowly backward to find her way out of the complex and back to the stables, at least. By the time she was outside, it was nightfall. 

She walked over to the stable, not bothering with Boots for the moment. Tomorrow would be a brand new day, and she still had to wash Talon's clothes for the night and take inventory stock. Grabbing the torch off of its post, she made her way back to the grotto where he lived.


	9. Time to Drink, Farina

Talon was making his way slowly through the courtyard to the trail, not bothering with a torch. The moon was very bright tonight. He sighed, thinking back to the meeting with his father, in which he was asking about visions and their truthfulness. 

His father had told him that following his vision was important, since they were messages from the gods. Sensing Talon’s unrest, his father elaborated that the visions would keep them on the path to avoid waking the Great Dragon. When Talon asked if there could be false visions, his father grew irate, and angrily told Talon to leave him, chastening him for doubting the wisdom of the gods. 

Talon had promised to go worship at the temple tomorrow, even though it was not the season for it, not really.

Upon arriving in the grotto, he walked quickly to the house, pushing the door open somewhat angrily. He paced angrily inside the main room, running his hand through his hair. He kicked at a pelt, futily, and made a noise of frustration at it. 

* * *

Farina had finished most of her work for the night, having made a meticulous list of items in the storage room. This way, she would know what "full" meant and when things would need to be restocked. At that moment, she was working on marking objects that would rapidly deplete, such as water, as "high priority" versus things that were used sparingly, such as olive oil, as "low priority." 

Her peace was interrupted by Talon bursting through the door into the main room, picking a pelt and exhibiting frustrated behavior. She peered through the open door of the storage room and quietly walked out with a little wave. It would be rude to hide, wouldn't it.

* * *

As he registered Farina’s presence, Talon realized how childish he must look. He shut his eyes, trying to calm himself. 

After a few deep breaths, he opened his eyes to see Farina. He rolled his broad shoulders, before letting out a huff of air. “Go upstairs and make a fire.” 

* * *

She echoed an affirmation and quickly scurried up the stairs to do as he had asked. SHe had not known him well enough to fully react to the way Talon was acting -- was he being childish, or did he have serious anger issues? She didn't know, and she was not going to risk finding out. 

She squatted to align herself with the fire's height before stirring the wood around with one of the allotted metal instruments.

* * *

Talon grabbed two jugs of wine from the storage area, then turned back to grab a third. It was that kind of night.

He trudged up the stairs, footsteps heavy. Pushing open the door to his bedroom, he strode in, setting down the jugs onto the table before the fire with a clatter. One jug almost rolled off, but he caught it, pulling the cork out with his teeth and spitting it out carelessly over his shoulder with a practiced ease. It landed on the floor behind him.

Pulling one of the two chairs out from the table, he sat down with a careless motion, the wood creaking under the force.

He cast a sideways glance at Farina who was squatting before the fire. The mother of his firstborn. He took a deep drink from the jug of wine, then stared into the fire.

* * *

Farina wasn't going to lie -- as intimidating as the man could be when he was angry, when he caught the jug in the air with a careless confidence and spat the cork out, she was mentally swooning. She wished that she could just throw a jug around like that and catch it with that kind of confidence. She turned her head to the fire again, trying to mind her own business. 

Once the fire was blazing to a satisfactory extent, she took a seat on the other side of the table from him and crossed her arms in a relaxed manner.

* * *

He ignored Farina as she sat next to him before the fire. He was deep in thought, trying to figure out his next move, but his thoughts were spiraling into circular patterns. After taking a few more gulps from the jug in his hand, he was beginning to feel warmer, more relaxed.

He looked at her, firelight dancing over her face and the curves of her body, a warrior like him, yet trapped. He set his jug down on the table hard. She startled slightly then looked his way, purple eyes glinting sharply. The mother of his firstborn.

He slid one of the other jugs across the table towards her. “Drink, little warrior,” he said, quite clearly.

* * *

Her eyebrows raised but her face otherwise frozen, she accepted the jug pushed her way, looking at her reflection in the wine. "....I haven't had alcohol in a long time," She responded in a pensive manne...before taking the whole jug and bringing it to her lips like he did. The wine left a burning sensation in the back of her throat after she took a few gulps. A heat burned briefly in her stomach. Like a warrior.

She set the jug back on the table, just like that, he violet eyes analyzing him.

* * *

Watching her mimic him, he lowered his head, shaking a little with quiet laughter. Looking back up at her, he remarked, “Brave,”before taking a swig from his own jug. “Did you drink with your sword-sisters in Amalia like this?”

* * *

She shrugged, a proud smile overtaking her face. "We would have a jug occasionally. Split it after a hunting outing or a successful raid. But it has been a few years," She mused, her eyes turning to the fire.

* * *

“Did you ever share a jug with man of Amalia in your celebration, wind up under the table with him?” He looked at her with keen interest, waggling his eyebrows.

* * *

A bit tipsy by now, Farina laughed maybe a little bit too loudly from the question. "Nah, fuck that. If one guy got in my pants, others would try as well. Then there would be drama and I would feel weird around some of the tribe." After her little answer, she made a "come hither" motion with her finger, motioning toward the wine once again. Leaning over the desk, she returned the question, albeit with less coherent phrasing. "You ever drunk with a girl, then wind up "under the table"?"

* * *

She was a virgin. Taking another swig, he handed the wine to her. “Not quite under the table. This is my first Season. Many women have tried, despite the Commandments.” 

“Have you ever touched a man’s spear, like mine?”

* * *

"Ah," She nodded vigorously. Even in her somewhat-drunk state, the second question made her blush in response. "Nope. That was my first time touching a dick." Feeling a little awkward about admitting that, she joked, "I had told you earlier, "Hey! You don't know how big my people's dicks are!" But I don't either , ! " She quipped with a snort.

* * *

“You are drunk, already.” He tapped the open jug near her, laughing. “Drink more.” 

He became more serious, asking with curiosity, “The gods of Amalia are different than ours. Your people do not follow the Seasons. How can you raise your children if all are born at different times?”

* * *

"Uhh, privately? Like uh, the family who had the kid raises the kid. That does not seem to be the case here, right? Your people raise children all together?" She asked, before lifting the jug again and pouring another gulp into her waiting mouth.

Furrowing her eyebrows and squinting at him, she remembered, "Oh, what was that about the whole day of the Rut thing and the Choosing? What does the word "Rut" mean?"

* * *

“That seems very inefficient. How does the mother work if she’s the only one feeding her child?” He opened another jug, and set it next to himself. “We raise the children together, but they all belong to their sire’s family. The temple is only for infants. Once grown, they go to their family home.”

Talon started into the fire, wondering how to explain this to her. “It is the Week of Rut, it begins with the Festival of Choosing. During the Choosing, Kidadi men pick which Kidati woman will bear his next child by taking off their sashes and tying them around their Chosen’s waist. Occasionally duels occur, but the Festival is a wonderful day. 

“During the Week of Rut, the new couples stay “under the table” together. For the whole week.”

* * *

"Ooooh," She responded, leaning back and staring at the fire for a minute. She gave a perverted little smile from the last part, her eyes questioning. "For a whole week? Just.....Wow, that's a lot. You guys really like your schedules." She teased with a laugh. She supposed then that "Rut" meant crazy, constant sex? 

Cocking her head to the side, she then followed up with, "Who was your first woman?" Maybe that was a bit brazen, but whoops! It had already left her mouth. Her cheeks were a little flushed from all the alcohol, her gaze intent on learning more about him.

* * *

Smiling openly, Talon said, “The Week of Rut is a blessed time.” 

He took a big drink from his own wine. “I should not tell you her name, this is a bit dishonorable.” He drank again. “She had gone through the Week with another of my swordbrothers, but she did not find him acceptable. She liked me though.” He reflected on the taste of the woman. “I tasted her goddess.“

* * *

"Her....goddess?" She asked with a puzzled expression, knowing that he was not talking about her....deity. That's not how gods worked. Was he talking about someone else?

* * *

This woman, she did not know the most basic things. “Let me try to explain another way... I put my face in her fountain and drank?”

* * *

A bit frustrated now, Farina closed her eyes and tried to picture a fountain. "Talon, I am very drunk, and this is not my first language. I find your uh...analogues charming, but I am not understanding them. Will you please just tell me literally?" Opening her hooded eyes, she angled her face down a little and gave him an expectant gaze.

* * *

Slightly annoyed, Talon decided a visual aid would help. He brought his hand to his mouth, holding out his index and middle fingers. In the “V” shaped empty space, he stuck out his tongue, wiggling it, while watching to see if Farina would catch on.

  
  



	10. Confirming Suspicions

Farina cocked her head to the side, but after a second, her face morphed into horror and she covered her face with her hands. "Ah....fountain...! And the....goddess......Your religion's really...uh, sexual!" She kind of giggled, halfway from nerves. Why was she even telling this to the man who now owned her? Wasn't this inappropriate?

* * *

“Sex brings forth life. It should be religious.” He stared again into the fire, watching the flames.

After a long moment, he said, “You are a good woman, little warrior, if a little slow.”

* * *

"I mean, that is fair...." She agreed with him internally. Sex seemed like a religious experience, in some manner. 

Squinting her eyes, she was...offended by this. A little slow? Did he mean she was unintelligent? "I am not slow. This is my second language," She responded matter of factly. "If we were speaking Umali right now, I could teach you all of the dirtiest slang of my people," She explained, holding up her hands and closing her eyes.

* * *

She spoke Umali? Purple eyes, that voice, and Umali? Talon’s brows furrowed, eyes growing intense. He started into the fire but saw nothing but the babe from his vision and heard nothing but the Umali lullaby. 

He came back to himself with a shock. This vision, this woman -- he could not ignore the coincidence. 

He tentatively looked back at Farina, who had pushed her chair away from the table and was removing her sandals, only somewhat successfully, cursing loudly at them in Umali. He kneeled before her, batting her hands away and taking over, unwinding the long straps that wound around her calves and ankles. 

“Do you know any dirty Umali songs?” he asked, his eyes on his work. He wanted to pray, but for what? He liked the woman, he felt more at home with her than any of the others that he thought he might Choose. Yet, the fallout would be great. 

* * *

She pointed a finger at him with a sly grin, leaning back as she kicked the sandals off of her feet. One of them flew across the floor. "Fuck yeah, I got all the shit up here," She responded, whispering the last part while pointing to her brain. Spontaneously, she started to sing a seductive tune with a beat, stomping her bare foot to it. 

After a moment, she was overtaken by the mood of the music and stood up, starting to sway her hips and circle them around.

* * *

He smiled at her as she sang and began to dance, but the smile did not reach his eyes. She was definitely the one from his vision. Despite the song being a quite different tempo, he knew it by the longer notes that she held. He felt tired suddenly, and saddened, watching her so boisterous. 

Perhaps he should have left her in the temple, as soon as he saw her eyes. Now, he felt like he was stuck in quicksand, pulled inexorably towards his fate.

He stood and opened the wardrobe, pulling out a wool blanket. He spread it out in his arms, then turned back to Farina, wrapping her up in it with a playful roar that he did not feel.

He carried her over to the pile of furs, only setting her down when her struggles ceased.

* * *

She giggled into his shoulder, playfully shouting, "Lemme go! I am from a distinguished family, and....and, I am a big strong warrior with fancy sword moves and impressing all the ladies with them!" She finally gave in, and almost as soon her head had hit the fur, she was conked out.

* * *

He sat watching her sleep for a long time, stroking her dark curly hair back from her face. Every so often, he would take a drink of wine. Eventually, he stood and took the last jug of wine with him, going out into the moon lit night and sitting heavily on one of the chairs. His mind was whirring, but his thoughts were strange and disordered from drink.

He passed out there, snoring gently, still there when the sun began to rise and a new day began.

* * *

* * *

A few days later, Farina was on her way to the market. She had taken care of all of her chores except for one: they would run out of eggs and cactus pears soon. She shook her head to the side, thinking about how much Talon loved his cactus pears. She stopped past the temple on her way to the market -- this was the last item on her to-do list, and they were not very close to running out in the next day. Maybe if she was lucky, Alicia would be there. 

Deciding to head inside, she walked into the temple. Like before, plenty of infants were being cared for by women, ranging from younger than she was to breastfeeding mothers to older women. A loud cry rang out to her right, and she cringed a little at the sound before realizing the person holding that infant was Alicia, who attempted to give a little wave but could not because she was holding the squirming baby. "Hello!" The other girl waved in excitement at the arrival of her friend from the other day. 

The two women started to chat and catch up, and Alicia asked her plenty of questions about her stay at the Worldmounters' compound. Farina told her some of the details, talking about how nice Talon was, and that she was his personal servant. "Ooooh, spicy," Alicia muttered with a glint in her eye and a smile. "Is he as strong as they say?"

* * *

Talon tied his horse to a post outside the temple, noticing that Boots was tied further down. Farina was here too, then. He was glad she was beginning to feel at home enough to go on errands throughout the town. 

He pulled his rolled-up prayer rug from its ties above the saddlebags. He might search out Farina later, but now he needed to dispense with his duty: praying to the gods in the birthing courtyard of the temple. He walked inside the temple and made a beeline to the courtyard. He took an open space in the rows of prostate men, joining in their worship. There were women laboring in the courtyard, naked and sweaty, with a few midwives in attendance. 

As the first cry of an infant rose up from one mother, the men clapped in joy, and began to sing the traditional birth blessing. Talon’s voice was strong in their chorus.

* * *

As Talon sang the blessing, sitting in a kneeling position, he smiled at the sight of the new, squalling member of their community. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see some movement from the second-story balcony which overlooked the courtyard.

He looked up, and felt surprised to see that it was Farina. He watched her there for a moment, still singing, and caught her eyes. 

* * *

Farina had already directed her gaze to the courtyard, but froze when he caught her eyes. She hesitantly waved at him from the balcony, another curly-haired woman coming up behind her.

Alicia noticed the way Talon was linking eyes with Farina and cooed in a low voice to her, "Oooooh. Do you like him?" 

The question made Farina jerk her head toward the other woman, waving her hands. "Nonono! No. Um. No. Servants don't get romantically involved with Kidatii, right?" 

Alicia leaned back on the podium, looking to the side as if she was thinking about other examples. "Well.....you're not supposed to. There has been a case, but the Kidatii who chose to do so is not of high rank. But....ah, yeah, getting involved with the Worldmounters is downright near impossible for a servant.......but that doesn't mean you can't fantasize?" Alicia raised her hands to her shoulder, shrugging.

* * *

He smiled up at Farina just before the blessing song ended, the men transitioning into something more like a low chant, meant to give the women strength through their labor. The men all sunk down to rest their foreheads on their mats, so Talon looked away. He wanted to go see Farina and meet her friend, but he knew he should stay a few for a few more verses of the chant. It wouldn’t do to seem hurried, rushed, in his devotions.

* * *

"Oooooh he smiiiiled," Alicia dug at her with a giggle, using her elbow. 

The purple-eyed woman laughed a little, backing up a bit from the balcony. "There's nothing between us, really. I don't want to be ostracized by the entire town! The other servants are already being unfriendly to me, probably because I'm his body servant now." 

Raising her eyebrows, Alicia waved her hands and stopped her there. "Wait. You're his body servant? Ooh, yougettowashthoseabs." Farina nodded in a confused manner before posing a question about the job itself.

"Speaking of that, um. What do body servants generally do?" Farina was quite curious about this. She trusted Talon's description, but she wanted a second source.


	11. Making Plans

As he chanted, Talon reviewed his plans for the day. They were simple: Take Windchaser out on a hard ride along the Watchman’s ridge. Thinking ahead, he realized he would need Farina to wash him after. 

He went through the next few chant patterns, then slid to his feet, rolling up his mat. He glanced up at the women on the balcony, glad that they were still there. He smiled again, and headed for the stairs to join them.

* * *

Alicia reiterated the usual definition, adding that this generally only results in extra work every two-to three days. 

Nodding in understanding, she crinkled her eyebrows at the three day detail. "Um. well he has me do it every day." Alicia cocked her head to the side in bewilderment. "That's a lot, even for a warrior. Is he that much of a clean freak?" The other woman shrugged with wide eyes -- how would she know? She just met the guy, practically.

Hoping she wouldn't overstep her bounds, Farina asked her, "Is it common to......?" She made a lewd gesture of jacking a man off below the balcony rail." Shrugging, Alicia answered, "Eh, yeah. I mean, it's not that big of a deal to the Kidati. Besides, you're in the bathwater already so it's pretty easy to wipe off your hand in the water. Men aren't supposed to touch themselves in the waiting season, so it makes sense."

After a second, Farina analyzed what she had said and crinkled her eyebrows a little more.  _ Just the hand. _ Should she say that? Alicia read her expression, the woman prying a little more in concern. "What is it?"

"Well....." Farina was hesitant to recount the detail, but she decided to anyway. "Um. It's not just my hand sometimes." Alicia made a cackle in response, slapping her in the shoulder in a teasing manner. "I mean. Sure, some of it might accidentally get on one of your legs or something, but just angle it away?" 

Farina tightened her lips, looking down in embarrassment. "I'm not the one who uh, aims it. And it's not my legs...." That was still a vague hint at what was happening, but Alicia could still deduce that Talon was aiming his seed at somewhere other than Farina's legs. A slight blush crossed her face in response.

* * *

Talon took the stairs two at a time, to the surprise of some passing women. Everyone knew who he was, afterall, so perhaps his strange hurry in the peace of the temple would make the rounds of rumor. He did not care.

He was excited to take Windchaser out, to ride through the desert at a gallop, wind blowing through his hair. It was an exhilarating feeling. 

He bounded over to the women, slowing his approach at the last minute. Farina’s servant friend had a strange look on her face, and was glancing back and forth between them rapidly. He wondered what Farina had told her.

No matter, it was only servant chatter. “Greetings, I am Talon Worldmounter.” He knew the other servant would know him, but it felt strange not introducing himself. He continued, “I see you know Farina, my servant. What is your name?”

* * *

Alicia responded with her name, still quite suspicious about what Farina had just told her. "it is nice to meet you, Talon Worldmounter." Given those details.....Alicia would assume that, well.....did talon have some sort of interest in Farina? Or......a kink for servants? But he had never had a personal servant until now, right?

Farina made a small wave in greeting to the hulking man. "I figured it would be nice to stop by and talk to Alicia before heading to the market to refill our inventory on a few items. How was your prayer?" She asked, unsure of what to talk about. This was the first time they had talked today.

* * *

“My prayer was very fulfilling. It is good that you are going to the markets. Remember to haggle with the merchants, they won’t give you a good price. Especially if they know you are my servant.” He frowned, knowing how the merchants gouged their prices if they knew you had coin.

“I wanted to tell you to make sure you are back at the compound well before sundown. I will need for you to bathe me and wash my hair, and I do not want to do it at night.” With that, he nodded to each of them, then took his leave.

* * *

She nodded dutifully as he walked away before turning back to Alicia. Leaning in, the other woman started to ask more questions about what she had meant earlier. "Listen. For the record, I have never heard of a Kidati aiming.....his spear anywhere that wasn't away from a servant. So that's suspicious. Like...just be careful. I don't know why he would do something like that, but um. Did you do something to upset him?" 

"No!" Farina stuttered out, waving her hands. "Not that I know of? But I suppose I could ask." 

Alicia pushed her shoulder affectionately before looking around. "Listen, I'll ask around discreetly. Don't let anyone else know of this."

* * *

* * *

Talon made his way down the trail, covered in sweat and wind-blown sand. He walked into the grotto, striding to the door of the house. He opened it and bellowed, “Farina? I require you to attend to me.” Without waiting, he walked over to the pool, stripping and slipping into the water.

* * *

Farina had finished her chores from the day and been able to get a bit of combat training in as well, so she was freshly washed and her long, curly hair was braided and fell in a trail behind her back. In response to his call, she rose from her seat and put down the papyrus and quill, grabbing the supplies on the table she had prepared to wash him with. She followed the man out to the pool, placing the towels on the stump as usual. 

For Farina, it had now become protocol to tie up her dress before wading into the water. She performed the action and worked her way into the water, up to her knees.

* * *

Surfacing from the water, Talon watched as Farina tied her dress up. He was coming to really enjoy these sessions with her, as she learned his body and the way he wanted to be touched. It was making him get hard just thinking of it. His cock throbbed even now, before she touched him. 

He walked to where she stood, thankful that she obeyed so willingly. “Will you wash my hair first or bathe me? It can be done either way.”

* * *

"Maybe we should wash your hair first," Farina answered nervously. "If you don't mind, I will have you sit down for that...? You are quite tall, so that would allow me to better rinse your hair off and rebraid it." Gracious, the man was already hard in front of her, his thick cock erect against his torso. She couldn't keep herself from glancing at it for a moment before moving behind him.

* * *

Talon was slightly disappointed to wait for the bath, but he shrugged it off. He lowered himself into the water slowly, then sat with his knees up in front of him. “The number of braids is important. There should be twenty-one, the number of raids I've led.”

* * *

"Twenty-one, got it." She worked to remove the previous braids from his hair, pulling each bead out one at a time and storing them in her hand. "Could you hold the beads?" She asked him tentatively, unsure how else she would be able to braid his hair. After he accepted, she handed the beads over to him and started to work the shampoo salve into his hair, one braid at a time, before redoing it. She figured this was the easiest way to meticulously recreate the hairstyle. She pulled her fingers through his hair before starting the rebraid, rinsing suds out of the long black strands multiple times. 

"So, how was your ride today?" She started off. Maybe she eventually would work up the courage to ask him why he liked her to bathe him every day.

* * *

Her hands were gentle in his hair, yet firm against his scalp. He began to relax. 

“Windchaser performed well.” He replied, then considered elaborating. “Saw some scorch marks on a boulder on the mesa to the south. There was a charred carcass of a mountain goat there, mostly bones. Bad signs.”

* * *

"What do you think it is? Who would char an entire goat in a random location?" She asked, bewildered by the description. That was eighteen levels of a strange phenomenon right there. The first braid had been completed -- she tapped him on the shoulder to signal that she needed a bead.

* * *

At her questions, he gently pulled away from her, peering into her face. “Are you joking?” he asked, uncertain of why she would on a matter so serious.

* * *

"......No?" She almost asked him, her face confused and a little saddened. He seemed a bit irritated at her. "Are you mad at me? I do not understand."

* * *

He realized she might not know of dragons, having lived so far away. “It looked like a dragon’s kill. Close to Dal-Ramoth,” he said plainly. 


	12. New Information

"D-Dragons?" She asked, spooked by the very idea. She had heard of myths but....never had she heard of a real dragon existing and being seen. However, even through her shock she worked on more of his braids. "Like, fire-breathing dragons, those exist?"

* * *

“They exist. There are always a few small wurms in our territory, though we do our best to destroy their nests and eggs whenever we can. A true dragon has not been seen in centuries, perhaps longer. But the signs I saw today looked to be from something larger than one wurm, and they were closer than expected to our city. Bad signs.” He idly splashed his hand in the water.

“I will likely have to take my men out to track it.” His brow furrowed as he made plans.

* * *

"I see." She finished up the last few braids, motioning for him to stand up again. His hair definitely looked much cleaner and neater now. 

Dragons, she thought. And Wurms, whatever those were. From context, little dragons? She fantasized briefly about being able to hunt them, or ride one. She had never seen one before, and felt a rush of adrenaline at the thought. But now it was time to wash down talon's body. 

She stepped out of the water, switching the shampoo oil with the soap and rag before getting back in.

* * *

He stood from his seated position, hand coming up to feel his braids. They felt neat and orderly, so he smiled. He watched Farina bend to get the soap, his eyes lingering on her rear. His cock, which had softened during the hair-washing, stirred again. 

He stood still, waiting for her to begin.

* * *

She turned back around and approached him, soap in one hand and the tag in the other. She started to work at his collarbone and shoulders, working her way methodically down his body. She knew what was coming now, and she had at least got used to the washing part, if not jerking him off for ritual purposes. 

Some masochistic part of her wondered with excitement if he would release his load on her face, but she suppressed the thought.

* * *

His cock was aching now, precome forming at its tip. The washing was well and good, but he wanted her to perform the ritual already. When she walked around him to wash his rear, he turned around to her afterwards, not waiting for her to walk to his front, panting slightly. 

* * *

She blushed a little from the way his cock was a bit closer to her face than usual, but she started to jerk it with the usual rhythm he liked, working his tip with the little twist on each repetition. Farina squatted a little in her standing position, gauging his reaction to see which strokes he preferred: faster or slower, harder or softer? She still felt quite bashful about the entire process.

* * *

He was loving the way she was trying new things, but the way she kept changing rhythms meant he couldn’t get enough to come. His hips thrust forward as she managed to really draw pleasure out, forcing the head of his cock to smear its precome against her plump lips, dragging against them for a minute. He pulled his hips slightly away, looking for her reaction.

* * *

Well, that was an at least obvious cue that the particular stroke she had used was quite pleasant to him, but the sensation of his bulbous cockhead smearing sticky precome against her lips made her stop in her tracks, restricting the desire to open her mouth and lick the precome off of her lips. 

She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his in an unreadable expression before working the preferred stroking pattern in a steady rhythm. Farina worked methodically, working to suppress the way her swollen pussy lips were throbbing in between her legs. She would really need to masturbate after this.

* * *

Her face was unreadable, but she employed the rhythm that he had reacted to again. He tried to restrain himself, but the memory of the feeling of her lips was too good. Deliberately, he pushed his cock against her mouth with a slight smirk on his face, nudging at it for a few seconds before moving away.

* * *

With each nudge against her bright lips, she blushed a little bit brighter than before. Her face sufficiently red, she backed away from him a little bit and licked the come off of her gleaming lips. 

Looking up at him with hesitation, she asked him, "Wait. Um. All due respect, but I now know that this isn't normal for body servants. Why are you doing that?" She felt a little knot in her stomach form, nervous about his response, especially when his cock was so near to her face and gleaming with his precome.

* * *

He loved the sight of her blush spreading across her face. Loved it even more when she licked her lips. He knew what was coming when she backed away slightly.

“I see you have caught me, wise little warrior. I do it because it feels right, natural, good - it makes my release more intense as well.

“If you are offended, I will stop. I do not want to abuse you.” He kept his hips still, waiting for her reply.

* * *

Cocking her head to the side for a minute, she brushed a lock of hair out of her face and decided to at least try out the motion. She held his cock still for a moment, nudging his thick head with her lips. Her eyes watched for a reaction from the man for a second before loosening her grip and letting him move if he wanted to. It was a pleasant sensation, the feeling of his smooth cock against her mouth, she had to admit. But maybe that was just her desire talking.

* * *

“Ahhh,” he hissed as she willingly rubbed his spear against her lips. Taking it to at least mean she was not offended, he pushed his hips out again, this time rubbing more slowly against her mouth. As he moved there, her lips parted slightly against him as he pushed at their plumpness. He shuddered, saying, “If we go like this, I will make my offering soon.”

* * *

"Okay," She replied breathily against his cockhead, vibrating it a little bit with the sound of her voice. She passively shivered slightly in response to him dragging his cockhead against her lips, not even fully noticing that her lips were just a bit parted around the slit in the middle of his head. She let him start to rock himself a little bit, his cock slathering her round lips with his precome. Was she borderline...fellating him? Did this count?

* * *

As he heard her agree, he let himself move more freely, the head of his cock pressing insistently against her mouth. He could feel her lips parting slightly just over the tip of his spear, and it triggered a wave of lust in him that tipped him over the edge. He dropped a hand to the top of her head to keep her still, coming powerfully against her lips.

When the sensations stopped, he wobbled unsteadily on his feet before sitting down on his butt in the water, creating a splash.

* * *

She gasped in surprise, unable to pull away from the powerful spurts of come flooding her mouth. She started to gulp the sticky liquid down to keep from drowning in it and choking on it, pressing her lips a bit more securely to the lip without thinking. Once he released her, she licked her lips and fell backward too in surprise, onto her butt in the water. 

Only then did she realize just how wet she was between her legs before falling into the water. The moisture bothered most of her body, but her pussy lips were already plump and drenched in moisture. She stared at him for a second, speechless. Hopefully he would go inside after she cleaned him, and maybe she could spend a little time in the pool satisfying herself...

* * *

He started laughing, a deep, booming laugh that echoed slightly due to the walls of the grotto around them. He got back to his feet, holding a hand out to Farina.

“You  _ are _ brave, little warrior, to swallow my seed like that.” He laughed again. 

* * *

"I...." She took his hand, relying on his weight to pull herself up. "Um, I. What else was I supposed to do?" She asked quietly, her face burning from the attention. Shaking her head a little, she asked, "Can I wash it now?"

* * *

He smirked at her, telling her honestly, “I’ve heard some women spit it out. Yes, you may wash it now. I’ll be working in the main room after I dry off. I will try to give you some privacy to get out of those clothes if you like. You may have the bedroom to yourself.”

* * *

"Thank you." She bowed shallowly, knowing that he would not want her to bow for him, but she still felt compelled to. She would train herself out of it. After rubbing down his limp cock, the girl sloshed herself out of her water, the lower part of her wrap sticking to her form through the clothes. He could easily see a detailed contour of her ass as she padded away, the washing items in tow and the towels on the stool for him. She took one for herself on the way, figuring it would be better to do that then to track water into the house.


	13. Not-So-Quiet Farina

He came out of the water, watching her pleasant form scurry off. Well, that interaction had turned out fantastic. He remembered watching her swallowing his seed, and knew he would have to avoid thinking of that in the future if he wanted to stay soft.

He dried himself, wrapping the towel around his hips after, and headed into the house to work.

* * *

Talon gathered the large map of the area he had rolled up in the main room, and spread it on the table. He went to gather his writing tools and some parchment. He needed to make a drawing to show what he had seen and where, with some notes on its state of the corpse’s freshness. He would be delivering these to the Patriarchs in the morning, so that he could request to take his men out on a dragon hunt.

As he settled in his chair and began to work, he heard a small sound, perhaps from upstairs. What was Farina doing upstairs? She was taking a long time.

* * *

Farina's breath hitched in response to a particular way she had rolled the little nub in her fingers, her hips bucking just a little bit. Her mind ran rampant, replaying the memory of him spurting his hot seed into her mouth, his cock pushing against the entrance to her mouth. She wantonly fantasized about the large man holding her by the hair and feeding her his cock, inch by inch, until his balls were touching her chin. 

She held onto the tabletop with one hand, moaning out helplessly while her cunt convulsed a little bit, twitching in pleasure. She worked herself at a steady pace, her strokes slower and harder against her button when she reached closer and closer to her orgasm. 

A wave of pleasure rushed throughout her body, almost an orgasm, but falling just a little short because she had stopped rubbing in anticipation. Her hips twitched a little and her clit was so sensitive that it almost hurt to touch it, but she continued on with gentle strokes. If she didn't orgasm now, then she would have to do so later -- or do something she would regret.

* * *

He held still, listening intently. Another sound, more obvious. She was moaning. He knew what she was doing, having heard that sort of sound before. He tried to picture it. Was she on her back on her furs? Standing, holding onto a chair for balance? Wantonly humping her hand on his bed?

He snorted, amused and a bit turned on. But it seemed natural to him, especially since women were more horny than men.

* * *

A few seconds later, she could feel the wave overwhelming her body, her hips shaking in release. Her face scrunched up in pleasure, a gasp leaving her lips in pants. Her cunt clamped down, disappointed that it was empty still, but she slowly stroked at her clit, riding the orgasm out until it had settled into an insistent pulsing. Post-orgasm, her clit was so sensitive that just brushing her thighs together brought about another tiny climax, and she had to clamp her lips shut to keep from making a whining sound. 

A bit embarrassed about having to stroke herself to release after giving Talon a handjob, she backed up against the wall and pulled her dress down. At least if he came in after this, maybe she would just look a little tired, maybe about to take a nap instead of enjoying the pleasant sensations of her afterglow.

* * *

He set back to work once the sounds died down, making a detailed drawing of the burn marks and the dead goat. He heard no more from upstairs, and decided to prepare two plates of the food they kept in stock, for when she came down. He was hungry, but she would be too, especially after all that.

* * *

A few minutes later, she brought the change of clothing down to dispose of into the hamper for her next washing round. Turning around, she noticed the food he had prepared for another person besides him. Given that they were the only two people in the house, it must have been for her. "Thank you," She responded before clearing her throat. 

Sitting down, the girl picked at her food with only one of her hands, but it was not necessarily obvious since she was eating quite slowly.

* * *

He looked up from his work as she sat down. “Did you enjoy yourself?” he asked, expression innocent.

* * *

"Huh?" She asked him, trying not to look panicked at all. Did he know? Did he hear her? Oh no, were the walls not soundproof? Playing dumb, she neutrally asked, "What do you mean? I was changing. .....I suppose?"

* * *

“You suppose? You weren’t doing… anything else?” He was trying to keep a straight face, but his lips twitched.

* * *

Her eyes widened a little, slightly. Fuck, shit, fuck, he knew, he knew. Poker facing her face to the death, she appeared as a gargoyle and munched on some cheese. "Nope," She said.

* * *

Talon fluttered his eyes dramatically, pitching his voice as high as he could. “Uhhhhhhhhh.” he moaned, quietly, then louder, “Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” He kept on moaning, clearly mimicking her sounds from before.

* * *

At that moment, Farina's face mimicked that of a frightened horse. "Fuck!" She murmured in Umali, her hands immediately flying to her bright red, tomato-ass face. Without thinking twice, she ran away from him into another room, so very extremely embarrassed. "I'm sorry!" She half yelled in an embarrassed manner.

* * *

Talon stood from his chair, walking rapidly to stand outside the storage room Farina disappeared into. He was laughing lightly. “Do not worry, little warrior. I know ways of women, they are so much hornier than men. The woman who nearly had me, she would come to me night and day, at all hours. 

“Eventually, I hurt my tongue from pleasing her so much. I spoke with a lisp for a week!” He chuckled, remembering.

“Do not feel so embarrassed. Though if you do not want me to hear, you should be quieter next time.” He saw a movement in the window of the house. Shadowclaw had returned, and had his big paws on the sill of the open window near the door.

“Shadowclaw is here. Let’s see what he’s brought us.”

* * *

What the fuck? She thought, her body aching with the aftershocks of her orgasm. Was that a true thing? Or some weird patriarchal thought of their people? She was too frazzled and inexperienced to really know. Regardless, the sentiment did not make her feel better or worse. Wait -- he was the one making her jerk him off everyday! That was bullshit. She didn't masturbate every day. This fuck. 

Snorting in a frustrated manner, she said nothing while folding her arms across her sides. He liked when people spoke their minds. But he would not like it if she said that.

* * *

He poked his head into the room, looking towards her, “Forgive me for mocking you. It is not a cause for shame. A woman’s body is a beautiful, holy thing… you should celebrate it.” He ducked his head, looking at the ground. “You may take your time after bathing me if you like. I could stay in the water, swim. It is good exercise.”

* * *

A bit more ticked off than she was before, she met his gaze with a hint of defiance. "I don't agree that women are all that hornier than men. Or honestly as horny as men. I have jerked you off every day since I arrived at your request, and this is the first time I have masturbated. I don't know why you think that makes me hornier than you are." Yep, she definitely should not have said that, but her logic was sound. She hoped he would be at least somewhat receptive to the rational way in which she debated him. 

As she spoke, she took note of a padded noise in the background. Maybe the big cat had returned?

* * *

He took in her argument, then said, “Perhaps you and I are different than most others. I am in my first Season, eager to take a mate. The Kidati woman I knew in that way, she was also heavy with child. I have heard that makes a difference. You have not been bred by a strong Kidati warrior. Maybe your desires would increase, if you had.” After he finished talking, he realised how odd his speech might sound, to her. After all, she never would be bred by a Kidati under normal circumstances.

But then Shadowclaw was winding around his legs, purring hard. Talon scratched his head, which only made the cat purr harder. “He’s only like this when he’s killed something big. We should go check the porch for whatever he’s brought back.”

* * *

"Maybe," she mused, bowing her he'd. That was fair -- maybe women's libido did increase while pregnant. She had never been pregnant so she would not know. 

His explanation made her blush at the end, especially at the part about her being bred by a Kidati warrior. Cocking her head to the side, she said, "But.....I won't be. Kidatii don't make children with outsiders, do they? So even hypothetically that is...." Not possible. It wasn't even a hypothetical. So why would he have acted like it was possible? 

Focusing on the cat and its hunt, she followed after him to the porch.

* * *

He quickly corrected himself. “Of course, not Kidati, I meant Umali. An Umali man.”

He went to the porch, and found a dead desert eagle on the floor. “Impressive. I wonder how he caught it.” He picked the bird up by its talons, saying, “I will skin this, we can roast it on the fire. A kill like this is too fine to take to the kitchens.”


	14. Dragonslayer

Four days had passed. Talon left the next day to track down and hunt the wurm that had incinerated that goat in the desert a few days ago, and since then she had been doing chores under Yassir's eye. 

He never said anything explicitly to her, but it was obvious that the man disliked her, maybe even hated her, by the chores he was having her do. At one point, she had to clean the entire horse stable herself, including wiping the horses' asses. She almost got kicked, twice! Horses didn't even like to have their asses wiped. Today it was cleaning the entire courtyard, just cleaning it, scrubbing it clean. Due to how often it was used, that was downright impossible. However, Farina had no choice but to obey. 

The first day, she had broken down crying afterward and took her frustration out on the training dummy Talon had. The second day followed suit, and she figured that she would probably follow in a similar fashion until whenever the man returned. She missed him, halfway because he actually gave her chores that needed to be done. 

An hour later, she heard a commotion of clipping approaching them. Looking up at the figures in the distance, it could have been Talon with his hunting crew back, or merchants. They were too far away.

* * *

Talon was jubilant. He had killed his first true dragon, though it was only the size of a large goat. They had managed to track it to its den, and Talon had bravely gone in after it, slicing off its head while dodging its blasts of flame. 

He rode through the city, his one arm bound in a rough tourniquet due to burns, but the other held the head of the dragon aloft, to the cheers of the crowd. He planned to give it to his father as a trophy.

He was entering the courtyard of the Worldmounter compound on Windchaser. Soon, there would be many people in the courtyard, but for now, there were only a few servants. 

And one, he saw, was Farina, scrubbing the courtyard tiles. Why would she be doing that? 

He was about to dismount when some cried out, “Talon’s back! He killed it!” and the residents of the compound began to come out to see him.

* * *

Farina was among the people who gathered around to see their hunted dragon carried on a horse behind him. At first, she was overjoyed to see him again, finally able to have someone to talk to and who would treat her like a human being, somewhat at least. 

But then she spotted his arm, and her face fell a bit. She mentally noted to herself that she better let Yassir know immediately that Talon was back so that she would be able to apply medication to his wounds. That burned arm needed to be dressed. Was he dehydrated? She knew from experience that larger area burns could exacerbate dehydration. 

She waved to him briefly with an enthusiastic smile before running across the courtyard to find Yassir.

* * *

He dismounted, making a triumphant thrust into the air with the head of the dragon. He was accepting the many congratulations, but weariness was taking hold, so he handed the dragon’s head to a too-eager youth and Windchaser’s reigns to the stable boy. He took a bow, his injured arm smarting, and began to head to the trail to the grotto. Where had Farina gone? He needed her. He began to make a slow trudge through the narrow canyon. He hoped she would be back at home.

* * *

Once she had told Yassir that Talon was home, she practically sprinted to the Grotto. He needed a wound dressing immediately with that burn. And a freaking bath. And some food. On her way to the path, she found him trudging along. She halted her a sprint for a minute, catching her breath while uttering, "Hey, Talon. I'm gonna go grab some bath supplies, okay? I need to get some dressing on that burn, but I'll have to clean it first. Also, congratulations!" She smiled gleefully, trying not to seem too overly excited, especially with the way he was barely standing up.

* * *

Talon nodded at her, saying, “A truly momentous kill. Go, I can walk by myself.” He was so glad to see that she could handle this.

* * *

"Cool," She gave him a soft punch to his shoulder, an Umali congratulatory gesture to a warrior, before bounding off. 

The girl rushed to retrieve bathing supplies, accompanied by wound-dressing supplies. He had gauze...good, some anti-inflammatory salve, and she could use sewing strings to weave the cover around his arm fairly efficiently. 

All the items in hand, she made it over to the pool area and placed the towels on the stump, as usual before setting the wound dressing items to the edge of the pool, almost. It would be important for her to do that immediately after washing him.

* * *

He progressed through the familiar curves of the canyon slowly, even stopping to rest at one point, though he swore to himself that he would not rest until his wound was clean and cared-for.

He made it into the grotto and continued trudging to the pool, waving to Farina as he saw her. Good, he thought, seeing the supplies laid out. He walked to the bank of the pool, and began trying feabily to disrobe. 

* * *

Farina rushed up to him, noticing his difficulty disrobing. He seemed absolutely exhausted. “Can I get you anything to eat or drink? Have you had enough water, Talon? People with burns get dehydrated faster," She informed him while pulling the shirt off of his body. Next came the pants, and soon she was digging herself under his armpit (on the intact side) to help him sit down in the pool.

* * *

“Water would be good. Food, maybe later.” Talon flinched and hissed when the shirt came off, since some of the fabric had stuck in the burn. As she took his pants off, he said, “Got scratched by the damn thing’s claws in my right calf, too. Not sure how bad that is.” He sat down in the pool heavily.

* * *

"Motherfucker," Farina muttered, noticing the long cut across his calf. She immediately grabbed some gauze and bent down, starting to tightly wrap his wound in the water. "Water will dissolve the scab eventually, so this needs to stay bandaged to keep you from losing blood. I will go grab a jug of water." After bandaging his leg and tying it up, she quickly strode into the house to get water before returning after just a minute.

* * *

Talon just nodded, waiting for her to return. His burn and cut both smarted painfully, but the tiredness was what he really battled. Don’t pass out in the water, he thought to himself.

* * *

She handed him the jug, setting it down in the shallow part of the pool next to him before grabbing the soap and tucking it under her armpit. She pulled his hair away from the back of his body and washed his back down, neck to nearly his ass. She scrubbed at his skin with the wet rag until it was clean.

* * *

He gratefully accepted the jug, gulping water down, finding his thirst deeper than he thought. He paid attention to Farina’s ministrations, taking smaller sips, trying to pace himself.

He needed something else to focus on, the pain increasing slightly. “I saw you scrubbing the courtyard. Why is this?”

* * *

"Because Yassir hates my fuckin' guts and thought it would be funny to make me break down crying from boredom and lack of free time," She responded, emotionally exhausted from being explicitly ignored by the other servants and given pointless labor. Once his back was finished, she turned to the front and kneeled on her knees. Dipping the cloth in the water, she splayed the soap and rag in tandem around his chest, working it into his shoulders. She was careful not to touch the burn wound. "How was the dragon fight? Tell me about it so that you don't pass out in the water," she prompted with an amused smile.

* * *

Yassir would pay for treating his body servant like that, Talon thought, imagining Farina crying. His fists clenched slightly, the movement aggravating the wound. He did not mention his disapproval of Yassir, not yet. He did not want to upset her further.

He watched her settle in front of him, on her knees. It was a pleasant sight, and his cock twitched a little.

“The fight was over quickly. What took a while was tracking the thing. It’s hard to follow something that flies, especially over rough terrain.” He returned her smile, grateful for the distraction.

* * *

"I mean, that is fair? How did you track it?" She asked with wonder. She had never seen a dragon until earlier today, and even then, only from a distance. The girl grinned toothily in front of him before cleaning the arm that was undamaged before turning to his burned arm. "Okay so. Based on the swelling, the burn seems to have penetrated more than just your top layer of skin. This means that I cannot really submerge it in water and will just have to apply some protective oil over it before wrapping it. I will do that when you're out of the water, okay?"

While explaining this to him, she helped lift one of his legs up and started to soap up his undamaged calf before his thigh.

* * *

“We have been making notes of where its kills were found for weeks now, so we had a general idea of where it might have holed up. It only took a few days of searching to find it.” 

He listened to her explanation of how she would care for him. “Sounds good.” He noticed his cock was unswayed by the situation, rising even more as she washed his thigh. He shivered slightly as the rag passed near his balls.

* * *

Noticing the "spear" rising from the water, she grinned a little in an entertained manner. "I'm honestly surprised that even in a situation where your arm got burned and you have a wound in your calf, your "spear" is rising." She repeated her ministrations from the second foot to his thigh, skipping the wound in his calf before stopping right before his balls. "I also need to get to your butt at some point, so maybe you can stand up?"

* * *

He looked at her with an unreadable expression. “My spear only rises for the best. You’re good at this, you know. Are you sure you’ve not come from a long line of body slaves, trained for this?” He chuckled at the idea. 

“I can stand. I’m a mighty dragonslayer, of course.” In good spirits, he regained his footing.


	15. Tending to Talon

She blew out a little bit, taking in the compliment with a slight laugh before moving behind him and washing his butt thoroughly before circling around to the side, still kneeling. "Well, uh," She started, pausing before washing the rag and lightly bringing the soap across the part of his shaft where it wouldn't burn. "I should probably move on to your calf wound soon, and dress that arm...." After a moment, she looked up at him to gauge his tired reaction. She should probably jerk him off, right? 

The girl brought the wet rag across his thick cock, lightly scrubbing and pulling it back off before rinsing it again. He was practically throbbing in her hands. She knew she had to do something about it. At that moment, she remembered how he had twitched and come so hard into her mouth just from the feeling of his cockhead against her lips. She supposed that....that might be more efficient.

* * *

Talon sighed with relief as she took his cock in her hands, murmuring, “Thank you…” under his breath. She looked so focused on his cock, maybe she hadn’t heard. She looked beautiful there, her face four or five inches away from his spear’s tip. He realized he was holding his breath, waiting for something to start.

* * *

Farina licked her lips, a little nervous. She had never really taken a man's spear inside her mouth before, so this would be a new experience. SHe used her hand to aim it toward her mouth, bringing her lips to connect with the tip of his head and gently rubbing it back and forth, just the way he liked. After a second, she roughly licked the head in experimentation before taking a second swipe. 

Once she was used to the silky texture of his cockhead, she parted her lips around it, the thick tip sliding smoothly inside her hot mouth.

* * *

She must be the goddess herself, Talon thought, gasping as he watched her bring his cock to her mouth. Oh, she was doing the thing he liked with his cock against her lips. He was watching her intensely as she licked him, and he cried out, “Farina!” 

It felt so right, to say her name like this, so he said it again as she took a second lick, trying to limit his volume. “Farina….”

Then as she took the tip into her mouth, so unexpectedly, he managed to gasp out, “Brave little warrior,” before he descended into unintelligible grunts and moans.

* * *

"Mmmmh," She hummed out in acquiescence -- she would never admit how satisfied she was to hear him call out her name like that, but she continued on faithfully. At first, her eyes had been trained on not mis-aiming his dick, but she remembered what he had said about looking him in his eyes, even after he had spurted his seed against her mouth and chin. And so she cocked her head up just a bit while circling her tongue around the cockhead parting her lips, so that she could look up at the man she was pleasuring. 

The girl did know that in her language, the motion was called, "sucking" or "suction," So maybe.....she started to suck on his head, pulling it a little deeper into his mouth and creating a bit of a vacuum.

* * *

He could only look on as she focused on her efforts to please him. He blinked hard as she looked up to meet his gaze, her purple eyes looking deeply satisfied, like she was proud to have his cock in her mouth. 

His eyes slid shut as she sucked on him, so good. His orgasm was becoming a reality fast. “Farina, I’m close.” he told her.

* * *

She nodded in understanding, satisfied that he was coming so quickly. This meant she would be able to clean his cut soon and address the burn, the more pressing priority. She reached up with one hand, gently stroking his ball sack while tightening her lips a little around the ring of his cock, creating a tighter suction.

Once his cock started to twitch in her mouth, she fed it another inch inside, waiting for the thick liquid to spurt down her throat.

* * *

His vision darkened for a moment as he came, and he swayed a bit on his feet even as he shot his seed into Farina’s eager mouth.

Once the thrill of orgasm passed, he could feel the sting of his wounds and the burn in his muscles. “Will you tend to my wounds now?”

* * *

Swallowing the seed in about two gulps, she nodded vigorously. "Of course. I just felt bad leaving you with blue balls first," She remarked neutrally before cursorily cleaning his cock off. 

Once the only dirty parts were his wounds, she unwrapped the wound on his leg before using the water to wet it. She scrubbed hard around the sides of the wound, but barely touched the inside, instead letting the water do most of the work. After rinsing it off, she moved to the edge of the water to put the soap bar down and grab the anti-inflammatory salve. 

Holding the bowl of salve in one of her arms, she dipped into it with her fingers and applied the gel to his cut generously. Placing the bowl down in the water, She then reached over for some gauze and started to wrap it up and down his leg in a stable manner. It seemed tying the gauze would hold up quite well, so she did not need to thread it together when she could just knot it. One down, one to go.

* * *

He sighed through her ministrations. He tensed a few times, expecting pain, though there was only light discomfort and a strange feeling as the salve settled in his wound. As she finished the bandaging, he held his injured arm out to her. “This part’s not gonna go as painlessly, is it?” 

* * *

Laughing a little bit quietly, she shook her head no. She did not mean to laugh at his pain, but burns hurt like a total bitch -- she knew by being a blacksmith. Burns sucked. Especially deep ones. 

Working to keep the burning pain as brief as possible, she went to fetch the protective oil, made specifically to insulate burned skin from the outside and keep moisture from escaping out of the burn. Unceremoniously, she held tightly to his hand with hers before applying the oil in thick layers to his wound.

* * *

The pain was intense, though he merely grunted once and focused on keeping his breathing measured. He was grateful that he had her hand in his, and he squeezed it through the pain. He watched her work, admiring her skill. 

* * *

Within a few seconds, the entire burn was covered, and she was done touching it. All she had to do was wrap it up now. Farina leaned over and grabbed at the gauze, unwrapping a large chunk of the cloth. "Hey Talon, you should use your big, burly, strong man-hand to drink that jug of water right there," She teased him, trying to distract him from the pain while she secured his wound firmly but not too tightly in the gauze wrapping. Once she was done, she tied up the bottom and top ends in a one-sided knot.

* * *

He took up the jug, making a “bottom’s up” gesture, and drank. It did help to take his mind off the pain in his arm, but there was a sharper lance of pain as she made the last tug to make the knot. He coughed on some water, then, coughing continuing despite his attempts to calm himself.

* * *

"Woah," She responded before holding him by the chest and patting his back, like a baby, so that he would burp it out.

* * *

As the coughing receded, he scowled at her, saying “Not a child, who needs a pat on the back. Mighty dragonslayer. Worldmounter.”

* * *

The servant giggled slightly, thinking, as if that wasn't obvious already. He just slayed a dragon. "Of course, Worldmounter," she replied teasingly, resisting the (silly, probably hormonal, unwise) urge to kiss him. Yep, nope, just hormones. 

Farina wormed her way under his armpit again, pushing up and allowing him to support some of his weight on her. "Come on, let's get you into bed."

* * *

He allowed her to help him, and they made their way slowly into the house and up the narrow stairs to the bedroom. She sat him on the bed, and he slumped over, grateful to be laying down finally. 

* * *

She signaled for no one in the room in particular a warrior fist, assuming the pose like a child. Success! Before turning on her heel and opening the door to the room, about to retrieve some food before bed.

* * *

He watched her pose, and muttered, “Thank you, my little warrior.” Then, as he saw her about to leave, he called out, “Wait!”

* * *

"Hm?" She asked, peeking out of the door and waiting for his response before heading downstairs.

* * *

“Yassir is a problem. He must be punished for treating you like, like, some girl fresh from the goat fields. How shall we deal with him? Sell him? Demote him? To exile him, it would be a little harsh, and cause a stir….” Talon trailed off in thought.

* * *

Holding her hands up defensively, she stuttered out a horrified, "No!" That would be cruel, and not to mention, exacerbate the issue. Besides, most of the servants did not like her. Maybe this would be worth mentioning later, when Talon was not about to pass out from exhaustion. "That's not necessarily. I mean, it's up to you obviously but...I would be fine as long as I didn't have to be under his orders anymore."

* * *

“I cannot allow such disrespect to go ignored. I will at least reprimand him publicly. You do not have to be there.” He looked at her, thoughts churning about what to do with her while he was away. Perhaps Samhila could use her. “I may have an idea of where you may be useful, while I am away.” 

Nodding, he told her, “You may go.”


	16. Telling Stories and Making Plans

A few hours later, Farina was headed up stairs with a plate of food. She figured Talon would be hungry whenever he awoke, but she had no idea when that would be. She placed the plate of fruit and meat on the table on the other side of the room before lying down on her furs for the night. 

Once she was comfortably settled in the makeshift bed, Farina replayed the day in her head. Well, not the first two thirds of it. Those sucked. She was satisfied to see him all fixed up by her handiwork, and especially satisfied by how his wounds seemed to respond to the medicine. They did not seem to puff up anymore, and hopefully once she checked them tomorrow they would have healed just a little bit. While thinking of the day, she tried to avoid the part of her memory that decided to replay the way she had kneeled between his legs, taking his cock into her mouth for the first time.

* * *

Talon came awake slowly, the scent of food making his stomach growl. He pushed himself up slightly so that his torso was on an incline, blinking sluggishly. “What is that heavenly smell?” 

* * *

What a manly man, She thought with a grin. Teasingly, Farina called out in a flat tone, "cooked pork, figs, and cactus fruits....?" This man and his cactus fruits.

* * *

“Ooooooh, cactus fruits. I love them. Are they ripe?” He sat up fully, with a groan, and made to stand up. 

* * *

Shaking her head, she ignored his dumbassery and let him stumble to his cactus fruits if he wanted them that badly. "Yes, Talon."

* * *

He stumbled over to the table where the food lay, pulling the chair out with his good arm. He sat down with some lack of grace, though he picked up the cactus fruit and bit in with an expression as delight. “It _is_ ripe!” he exclaimed, munching happily. After a moment, he turned to Farina, face serious.

“I found more bad signs in the den of the dragon. Do not speak of this. I do not want to cause a panic.”

* * *

 _Ten out of ten transition_ , Talon, she mused satirically. This human was an interesting one. ....Then she registered whatt he man had actually said. Rolling to her side, she propped her head up on her elbow. "What? ---Uh, I will not speak of it. But. You found signs of a big dragon?"

* * *

He nodded, glad that she caught on so fast. “There were claw marks on the walls, with a wider spread than that of the one we killed.” He sighed, staring into the fire. “No way to tell their age. But there were recently-hatched eggs in the nest. It was probably a breeding pair. Not good.”

* * *

"Oof, yeah, that is a pretty clear sign," The girl responded, still on her side. She had wanted to use the word conclusive, but her Kidati was not that advanced. 

A breeding pair of dragons. Yeah, that was horrible news, and she was surprised he wasn't panicking. "What do you plan to do about it? Can I....help in any way?"

* * *

“I will have to go out to hunt the larger one soon. They were nesting too close to Dal-Ramoth, far too close, to wait for long.” He closed his eyes as he imagined a dragon attacking the city, the temple. Not good.

“I hope to have my sword-arm heal fast, so you will be quite helpful there.” He gave her a quick smile, continuing, “But I need to find another way to fight them. This time, I went into the den, managed to catch the dragon asleep. The fight was mainly me dodging flames then lopping its head off with my sword.

“My men were afraid, though. They would not enter the den, and I agree that my action was not brave as much as foolish. If the other dragon had been there, well, you would need a new master.”

* * *

Staring at him intently for a second, she exhaled with a bit of exhaustion. She wasn't surprised, but the way he handled the situation worried her a bit. She didn't want to be masterless servant in a city where everyone hated her (is what she told herself). 

"Don't charge right back in there, okay? We can create a plan -- or, uh, you can create a plan with your comrades to take down the dragon?" She didn't want to insert herself into his work too much. If she had a forge handy, she could have possibly made him a set of armor to protect him from the dragon, but....that was not the case presently. Maybe she would ask him about it later.

* * *

Talon stretched slightly, bringing his good hand up to scratch his head. He would make no promise about when he would face the other dragon. 

But he didn’t mind talking about a plan. “My sword-brothers are brave in battle with other men, but dragons… dragons are a thing of myth. Have you heard of the great dragon, Worldeater, that destroyed our old city of Dal-Athmar?” 

* * *

Farina rubbed her chin, trying to recall where she had heard the name. It was familiar, wasn't it? "I have not," she answered in an unsure tone, trying to place the name within her memory, but nothing surfaced. 

Within her own head, Farina decided to at least sketch out a plausible strategy for defeating a dragon. To work out the physics, she would need to know how big it was, though...

* * *

“Bear with me, the tale may be a long one. In the old times, before Kidati lived in Dal-Ramoth, they lived in a great city out in the open desert, with great wells dug for water. This city is said to have been very beautiful, as the Kidati were the most wealthy nation, as far as any horselord had ever seen. Gilded domes, bejeweled gates, sparkling fountains… like you would never believe. The Kidati had this because they followed the Commandments, and were thus favored by the gods.”

He took a deep drink of water, wetting his throat.

* * *

He continued, saying “Over time, the Kidati of old began ignoring proper adherence to our religion, beginning such deviant practices as Choosing outlanders, eating horseflesh, and using other Kidati as slaves. They bred out of Season and ignored the rituals of bathing.

“In anger, the gods sent Worldeater, the first dragon, to punish them. This monstrous beast destroyed the city, raining fire upon it for three days, appearing without warning. It is said that when it flew overhead, its tail would disappear past the horizon, its gaping maw blotting out the sun.”

“Some Kidati survived, and we are their descendants. Worldeater disappeared, though many believe that she lurks past the horizon, and will return if we do not learn from the old Kidati’s mistakes. Thus we follow the Commandments and the wisdom of the elders.

“In my father’s lifetime, dragons have reappeared, though they have mainly been small wurms or found on the edges of our territory. The people fear a return of Worldeater, and even the bravest men blalk when confronted with a real dragon.

“I do not see why, the thing died like anything else I have sent my sword through. Fire was a bit tricky.” He smiled at her then, as if making a joke about himself.

* * *

She cocked her eyebrow at him incredulously. "Mhm, you can say that...." yawning a little, she lay back on the furs, deep in thought. She wondered out loud, "Talon -- I....I do not want to sound too hopeful, as the dragons have been a threat to your people, but a plan could be made and maybe machines could be built. Like a...." She almost felt silly saying it. "Like a giant form of a javelin, and propelled by some sort of machine."

* * *

He frowned, considering. “Those would perhaps be better placed around the city, like on its watchtowers. Unless they could be transported by horse and set up rather quickly, that is.”

He fell back into silence. “We need to stop the dragon from flying away, trap it somehow. Going into a dragon den is not a valid plan. We need to get the beasts out where we can maneuver freely around them. The Kidati are strongest when not hemmed-in.”

* * *

"Well, to make such a thing, you would need to know how big its feet are to create a weapon to successfully capture it, and one that would be able to keep its whole weight on the ground, while the animal would pull against the object." Hopefully that explanation wasn't too convoluted, but it was a valid point. Maybe they would be able to tie it to a building and lure the dragon there? No…

* * *

“The claw marks in the den were as wide as my hand. We don’t know right now if they were made from the beast’s front or rear claws. That would influence the size greatly. Hopefully, it was the rear. Otherwise, we will be in for a challenge.

“We will have to actually see it, to know its size. Scouts will help with this.”

“As for tethering a trap, there are some rock formations in the desert that such a thing might be anchored too, pillars or boulders, things like that. We would need to lure it there, maybe with meat, though some say they are attracted to riches as well.” He stared into the fires again, before yawning.

“That is enough planning for one day.” He stood, stiffly, making his way to the bed and flopping upon it. “Sleep, little warrior.” he called out.


	17. The Blue Forge

It was midday. Farina had filled the inventory stock for the day and washed the clothes already, and she was about to start a weekly deep clean of the house when she heard two muffled voices from outside. She figured one was definitely Talon, but who else would be here? The voice could not have been Yassir because it was not nasal and whiny. 

Rising from her space in the chair, she headed outside to make sure everything was alright.

* * *

Talon walked into the grotto with his half-sister, Samhila. They were talking calmly about his weapons, walking towards the house.

“I think I’d prefer a new throwing spear, instead of a used javelin, no matter its history,” he was saying as they approached the house.

He saw Farina come out the door, and he beckoned her to him. “Come, meet my sister, Farina. I’ve told her about you.”

* * *

Nodding dutifully, Farina rushed over to them, bowing respectfully to Talon's sister. "Nice to meet you," She greeted before meeting the woman's eyes and folding her hands together in front of her. What had Talon told her?

* * *

“I’m Samhila, blacksmith for the Worldmounter family. Talon has positively gushed about you. I don’t want to hear of the baths you give him, though. To me, my brother’s spear will always stay in its rack.” Samhila laughed, her midsection jiggling a bit below the red fabric that wrapped her breasts.

Talon broke in, “Samhila has agreed that you might help her mind the forge if your blacksmithing skills are up to snuff. I will leave you in service to her when I’m out in the desert, assuming it is a good fit.”

* * *

Upon hearing that Talon had told his sister about the baths, Farina shot at the much taller man an angry glare before morphing her face into something at least resembling friendly. But she would talk to him later about this. 

"I would be honored to work for you, Samhila. I will do my best." She bowed a little bit, trying to conceal the burning embarrassment on her cheeks.

* * *

“I’ll let you two ladies talk business; I’ve got some work to do inside.” With that, Talon left them to their own devices.

Samhila stopped laughing, though her tone was still light. “Do not worry, he has not spoken of your private duties to me. I like to tease him, after all, we are family.”

* * *

Farina waved Talon off, leaving her alone with Samhila. In response to the comment, she scratched the back of her neck in a bashful manner. "Cool..." 

* * *

“Let us sit on the porch and talk. This place is very beautiful, yes?” said Samhila.

* * *

Walking over to the porch, Farina acquiesced enthusiastically. "It is gorgeous here, especially in the grotto. I am quite lucky to be living here," She answered. "You are a blacksmith?" Farina turned her gaze to the woman, quite impressed. Especially in such a rare craft, it took a lot to have oneself a forge and a name.

* * *

“I am this family’s current farrier and weaponsmith. Our previous master of the forge died about four years ago, leaving the job to me, her student. I’m young for the position, but I am very proud of my work.” Samhila smiled fiercely here.

“Talon tells me you were a blacksmith in Amalia. What experience do you have?”

* * *

"That's amazing," Farina marveled at her position as forgemaster. That was something she had always dreamed of being. 

"In Amalia, I was an Apprentice directly under our tribe's forgemaster for five years. I have made mostly swords and armor. I would be delighted to learn anything else that I can."

* * *

“I’m glad you’re willing to learn. You may be able to teach me some things about forging armor. Kidati generally only use armor in the event that we need to defend the pass into Dal-Ramoth. Very few own their own, instead we have a stockpile in the barracks. Warmounters have some beautifully-made pieces from days of old, which Talon has access to. I don’t know if he’s had them adjusted to fit him, though.

“Might be a project, that. Talon’s broader and taller than most, as I’m sure you’ve noticed.” She grinned at her last comment, stifling a laugh behind her hand. 

* * *

"Um, yes? He is quite a large person." Farina supposed, remembering Talon's gate and the way he towered over her. He dwarfed her by a full horse-forearm. "But if we measure his shoulder width, then we could just expand the armor like that, right?" Although that would require more metal of the same kind, obviously. Maybe the woman was talking about a set of family armor? 

Her facial expression melting into one of disdain, she commented, "Talon does not seem to like wearing armor."

* * *

“Measurements are key, of course. But if he wanted to get the family armor adjusted, he’d likely make a contract with one of the armorsmiths in town, with experience in the matter. I don’t have the experience and a servant can’t be trusted to work on such a heirloom."

Samhila smirked at her on the topic of Talon wearing armor. “Kidati men value their speed and flexibility very much, as the fighting style is hindered by the weight of armor and its potential rigidity. Plus, there is a feeling that it is dishonorable to “hide” from the enemy’s blows in that way. They want to dodge, or die. It makes little sense.” She shook her head, contemplating the foolishness of the men.

“I can show you the forge, if you are not required to complete any urgent tasks at this time.”

* * *

"Yes, of course," she nodded in response. Farina wouldn't dare touch the family's heirloom, especially without such a lack of experience in modifying armor.

The foolishness of men was a topic that Farina, as an Umali woman, was well versed in, especially with Talon as her servant master. "I do not understand the logic of dodging or dying. The flexibility makes sense, but there are other types of armor that allow one to work around that, such as light and flexible armor made from mixing animal hide with metal in key places," the woman recounted as if she had read many books about it. 

Twisting her head to the woman in almost shock, Farina tried not to jump up and down from sheer excitement. "Oh, and I would love to. I am not required to complete any urgent tasks."

* * *

Samhila just shrugged her shoulders when Farina spoke of the benefits of light armor. “I know this, you know this, but do the men acknowledge it? You will have a battle to persuade Talon to put anything on over the traditional linen clothes he wears.”

* * *

"I am aware," Farina remembered with a sigh, recalling how even the suggestion of armor he rejected. 

* * *

Smiling again, she gestured to Farina as she rose from the seat. “Let’s go, then.” She began to walk to the trail, waiting for Farina to come to walk beside her.

* * *

Following the woman in earnest, the young servant caught up to her before slowing her hair so that the women were in tandem. 

* * *

“As we talk, let us speak on other topics. I am most curious about something, though I do not mean to pry… Has Talon brought any women back to the grotto with him? He ought to be courting, but he has always been secretive and sly when it comes to matters of the heart. He hates being teased.”

* * *

A little shocked (but somewhat pleased) by the woman's directness, Farina thought on the topic for a minute. "I feel like I am not supposed to speak on such a topic as that, but.....I have not seen any women at the Grotto."

* * *

Samhila slowed their pace through the narrow canyon, obviously thinking. “He must be meeting her somewhere in the city, then. It has been puzzling, his behavior. He has been chomping at the bit to get to participate in the Season for years now, but now that he’s finally about to come into his own as a man with his own progeny, he becomes all business. Other than his purchase of you and his successful Seeing, of course. Those things, he talks about.” 

She stopped for a second, and said, “Must be a meeting in the city. That devil.”

Resuming her pace, she asked rhetorically, “I wonder who she is, and from which family. He wouldn’t be so careful if he didn’t care so much about her.”

* * *

"I........am not aware of anything," she replied in a puzzled manner, knowing to keep her mouth shut about Talon's habits. She did not feel this impression at all from him, but then again she wasn't the man's sister.

"Maybe he saw something in the Seeing?" She asked experimentally, trying not to overstep her bounds. Even she knew the large man was excited about the coming set of holidays, but had heard little about his seeing, whatever that was. "What exactly is the Seeing?" She followed up quizzically. She had heard it talked about many times before, but she was not sure what it meant for a Seeing to be successful.

* * *

“He’ll tell anyone what he Saw: his firstborn, a boy, in his arms. It is a good, clear Seeing. But unless he’s holding something back, I don’t know why he’d act this way.” They came into the courtyard. Samhila kept going, leading her into a wide passage between two wings in the area of the compound that Farina had yet to explore. 

“The Seeing is a ritual where the men of the Season drink a traditional brew, which is said to send the drinker visions of their future. They pray to see their next child, or their next partner. The more detailed the vision, the more the gods are said to favor the man.”

* * *

Nodding in understanding, she was surprised the man had not mentioned such a vision to her. They did socialize a lot, after all, and he had not so much as even told her he had had a Seeing. He generally told her things that excited him.....right? She decided not to dwell on it too much, but to contemplate asking him later about it. 

"I see. That must be very informative and useful," she murmured. Farina briefly wondered if she could witness such a thing as well. "Do women experience visions too, here?" The people in Amalia did not have visions often from her perspective. However, when they did, such visions were vivid and detailed.

* * *

“Women, we do not drink the khal, the traditional brew. It is somewhat poisonous, and can cause extreme stomach cramping. It is bad for us, especially during our Seasons, when we are with child or nursing.” Samhila stopped as they neared an opening to a courtyard.

“You know, it is funny that you ask that. There are old tales of female Seers who rode with the horselords, who had dreams which told the future. They had purple eyes, just like you.” 

She made a sweeping gesture as she walked into a smaller courtyard. “Welcome to the forge of the Worldmounters.”

There was a wide fountain in the center of the space, water bubbling out of the natural spring it contained. The floor of the area was done in old tiles with ornate blue designs on them, with blue pots holding a few plants around the fountain. At the far side of the space, two forges were lit and glowing under an awning. There were large and small anvils, and bellows, as well as a wall holding a large array of tools. 

A tall, lean man was working at one of the forges, hammering nails into shape.

“I call it the Blue Forge, but do not tell my fellows. We Worldmounters are overly fond of the color red.”

* * *

Farina filed that thought away for later. Female seers with purple eyes who rose with horselords? She would have to inquire about that later, when she was alone in the compound's library, or a public library. 

Wow, the entire forge was lined and decorated with a beautiful blue color. It had to be lapis. The royalty and decadence of this force was like nothing Farina had seen before, and all of the tools looked well taken and new! "It is.....gorgeous," she breathed, taking the scene in. She ardently hoped that she would be experienced enough to work here.

* * *

“Come, I will introduce you to Pashar, my servant. Then we might have time to give you a little test.” She walked across the courtyard to the forge where Pashar was working hard on the nails. 

“Pashar, meet Farina, Talon’s servant, the one I told you about.” 

Pashar briefly looked up from the anvil where he worked. “Hail, Farina.” He used a traditional Umali greeting.

* * *

Farina's eyebrows twitched in recognition of the traditional greeting. She turned to him and raised a hand in the Umali manner, returning it. "Hail, Pashar." 

Maybe she would come back in a little while and ask this man where in Amalia he was from, and how he came here. By his accent, he was not from her hometown or region.

* * *

“I want to see your skill, but I do not want you attempting something challenging before I know you can do it. So, for today, you will take over for Pashar, making nails.” Samhila nodded at Pashar, who smiled back.

“I have to go run an errand, so Pashar will oversee you until I come back. Good luck.” With that, Samhila left the courtyard with a purposeful stride.


	18. Pashar

She nodded back to Pashar before heading over. "I am to make nails today. Samhila said you will be overseeing me?" She spoke respectfully because he was a stranger, but in Umali. It had been a long time since she had had the opportunity to speak her native tongue with someone.

* * *

“Yes, I shall oversee you, daughter of Amalia. Take a moment to look around our forge area, get familiarized. Let me know if you have any questions.” He continued his work, pausing for a moment. “I am glad you speak Umali. I find the Kidati tongue as difficult and treacherous as they are.”

* * *

"It is nice to be able to speak my mother tongue and not have to search for words," the woman murmured, heading over to the blacksmith bench and feeling the texture of an iron ingot. "I am also glad to be able to practice my craft again."

She had little response to the way he insulted the Kidati. Most of the people she had known who were nice to her were Kidati, except for Alicia. She was treated the worst by jealous foreigners, but she kept silent about it, thinking of Talon. 

After taking a quick look around the force, she picked up a finetuning instrument and set it next to the fire before heating up the metal. Nail making was an elementary task to her, but she understood why she was given such a simple one first.

* * *

“Ah, eager to begin. That is good. I shall not instruct you in this, aside from where things are, though even that wearies me after a while. Put things back where you find them.” He worked steadily, quiet for a moment.

“I heard what Yassir did to you, after a fashion. They are all jealous of you, though I do not understand it. After all, you have to clean that hulking Kidati’s cock.” 

He kept going, not looking up. “A shame, since a woman that looks as you do should not be wasted on such scum.” Here, he spat on the ground, an Umali gesture of extreme disgust.

* * *

She worked diligently to efficiently fashion nails, one after another. "Yes, they are mad that I have a higher status as a servant for a more important man," she iterated. The way Pashar talked about Talon burned her ears. She had sucked his cock, but...it was rude of him to assume. It was almost disrespectful how he talked to her, and extremely disrespectful how he bad-mouthed Talon.

In quiet rebellion, she uttered, "Not all Kidati are bad. Talon is a good man, and one who treats me like a human being. That cannot be said for most of the servants here I have met. 

Thinking about what he said for a moment. A woman that looks like you should not be wasted on such scum. Even then, he himself was treating her as an object -- a valuable one, but still an object. Talon's voice rang in her memory. _Little warrior._

* * *

Pashar looked up at her then, face full of disdain. “You have been away from Amalia too long, if you are defending that beast. Come by my quarters at night, I will remind you of what a true Umali man is like.” Here, he thrust his hips raggedly in place, the look on his face lewd. 

* * *

What in the fuck was she supposed to say to that? A pig was in charge of whether or not she got this job. She bit her lip to keep silent in the forge, working dutifully on the nails and ignoring his comment. If this was what Umali men were like in sexual context, she didn't want any part in it.

She no longer felt safe to speak to him in Umali, especially around Samhila, whom she hoped would return soon.

* * *

Pashar seemed oblivious to her discomfort, continuing, “It would be good to have an Umali in my bed, to be able to tell you what I want.” He looked up at her, but not at her face. “Your thick thighs would look good framing my cock.” 

He hammered away at his work, adding, “My come tastes better than that of a dirty horselord. More like a horsethief.”

* * *

Farina took mental notes of what the man had said to her, how he called the Kidati horsethieves and made lewd gestures at her. 

Finally fed up with the behavior, she snapped at him without looking at him, "You know, your cock would look good in my mouth," she started off to rope him in, before adding, "especially after I'd bite it off and spit it out. I don't think you realize that you're talking to one of the Shireni.” The Shireni were female warriors considered "sirens" for their fit athletic bodies but brutal martial arts style, and any Umali man should have recognized that name with fear in his heart. 

“If you so much as lay a hand on me, I _will_ show you the brutality of a Shirena firsthand, Tiflat," which was a word meaning“Child or prepubescent boy." "That Kidati horselord is more of a man than you will ever be."

Completing the nails, she rang them into a bowl with the fine-tuning instrument with a small clang.

* * *

Pashar snarled at her. “You like his cock then, _mushara_?” In Umali, mushara meant a slave that loved and doted on their master, who enjoyed the lack of freedom. It was meant extremely derogatively. “A pity he will never give it to you. He will bring a woman to his home, and you will be just a slave again.” 

“Go, wait by the fountain. You disgust me and dishonor yourself.” He again spat on the ground.

* * *

"Why is everything about cocks with you men! He is a nice person! I enjoy talking to him as a Muharib!" In Umali, the word meant warrior and doubled as friend in the context of the military. 

She stormed off, hissing at him, "You show me the disrespect of a child mouthing off to his father before he is beaten down." 

Waiting by the fountain, Farina fiddled with her nails, her eyes glossy with the threat of tears.

* * *

Samhila came back about fifteen minutes later, humming as she approached the courtyard. Pashar was still making nails and casting dirty, angry looks at Farina.

Samhila walked up to Farina, taking in her body language. “Are you upset, Farina? Were you unable to make nails?”

* * *

Farina held out the bowl of well-made nails to her, responding, "Pashar does not think highly of the Kidati and said.....some things to me. I will elaborate if you would like."

* * *

Samhila looked from Farina to Pashar, asking him, “Is this true, Pashar?” She took the bowl, looking over the nails.

“We had a small disagreement, only.” He obviously tried to make his face clear of emotion when Samhila looked at him, but when she turned back to Farina, his face scrunched up with ugly rage.

“What did he say?” Samhila asked, idly looking through the nails. “Tell me. Spare no detail. He’s been reprimanded for things like this in the past, especially when he was new.”

* * *

"Umm, he called the Kidati horse-thieves, and specifically insulted your brother, calling him scum. Said your language was as difficult and savage as your people, and made some really inappropriate sexual comments to me," she rattled off, having made sure to keep the insults in mind to use against him. Her gaze steeled forward, away from his enraged look.

* * *

“I see.” She looked up from the bowl, saying, “These nails are better than those that he makes. I’ve always found him a bit slow, and he’s not as good with our language as you are.” She looked back at Pashar. “Gather your things. You are not a servant of the Worldmounters any longer. Yassir will take you to be traded tomorrow.” 

Pashar stormed away, muttering, “Mushara,” at Farina.

Samhila watched him go with an angry set to her lips. As his stomping steps faded, she turned back to Farina, and said, “He deserved that just for the disrespect to my people. I will hear what he said to you as well, if you want, but the petty nastiness of servants will not change his fate.”

* * *

Farina felt too uncomfortable to tell Samhila what he had suggested between Talon and her, but she could at least tell the woman that he had made advances.

She recounted carefully, "Pashar told me that I should come to his bedchamber and he would be happy to remind me "what an Umali man is like", and then made some lewd gestures. He went on for a while, describing that in detail before I finally shut him down." Farina fiddled with her hands, signaling that that was all she had to tell.

* * *

“I see. While disgusting, his behavior is typical of some men. I am glad you told me of this.”

Samhila’s thoughts turned inwards. “I will need someone to help with the forges until another blacksmithing servant can be sourced. You might be perfect. I will ask Talon if I may borrow you for at least two hours a day until a dedicated servant is ready.”

* * *

"Yes. Thank you for believing me. I would be honored to serve you as a blacksmith." Farina bowed lightly in gratitude, her spirits still sullen from the earlier fight with Pashar.

* * *

“Go back to your work at the grotto. Tell Talon of your prospective work, though I will ask him myself when I see him next.” Samhila smiled then, saying, “And maybe use a less-floral soap on him. He smells like springtime, an odd choice, though it is funny.” 

Samhila walked back to the Blue Forge, watching Farina no longer, happy to be back at work.

* * *

"I will, thank you." She headed back off to the grotto, making a note that springtime soap was weird to apply to a man. She would ask Talon when she saw him next whether there were other types of soap lying around. 

By the time she had arrived at the grotto, it was early afternoon. Pashar's words lingered in her ears and her brain. _Defending that beast......wasted on such scum.....I'll remind you what a true Umali was like.....you like his cock then, Mushara?_

Shaking the raw sound of the words away, the servant raised her fists to the battle dummy under the sun. Em garde, she thought to herself before starting to pummel the passed person with just her fists. It was obvious by the way she moved and the way the dummy shook back and forth that her punches were stronger than one would expect, coming from a small person such as her.


	19. Discussions

Talon made his way back to the grotto, taking large strides only slightly impeded by his leg injury. He could not wait to tell Farina about his day.

As he arrived in the grotto, he heard Farina before he saw her. He heard the hard sounds her fists were making against the practice dummy. He could hear her harsh breathing, the sounds of her feet as she shifted stances. He knew she must be training, so he made his way to the porch to watch. This made his day even better. Shadowclaw came out from the shadows on the porch to greet him as he settled into a chair, watching her moves intently. 

* * *

Farina worked the bag from the left, the right, and ducked for an overhead punch right against its head. She used the other hand to hold the dummy’s head from behind, brutally pummelling it with her elbow multiple times. The girl fired kicks, punches, and knees against the dummy, her ragged breathing turning into enraged shouts. "Ragh! _Khinzi_!" She yelled, meaning "Swine" Umali. She cursed out the dummy colorfully, a year rolling down her cheek and blending with the sweat covering her face and body. Panting and stepping away from the poor beaten object, she noticed him, meeting his eyes.

* * *

At first, Talon enjoyed watching her show and her technique, frankly admiring it. Then, he became troubled as she redoubled her efforts, beginning to swear. He understood her curses, and realised that something bad must have happened today. He walked over towards the dummy area, ready to break in, but she suddenly stopped, sweat dripping down her face as she met his eyes.

He clapped slowly, saying, “You put on quite a show, little warrior. Who had earned your ire on this fine day? Hopefully not Samhila?”

* * *

"Not Samhila," She muttered, not meaning to sound mean in any way, but her stony gaze stared right through the compliments he paid her. "Do you have any wounds?" She asked him, almost cursorily, but did start to inspect his arms to make sure he was not cut anywhere. She couldn't force herself to really talk to him right now -- she was nearly too upset to speak.

* * *

Her attitude was different, stilted, and her gaze strangely hard. Talon needed to figure out what was going on.

“No, I went to see some builders in the city, to talk about how one might trap dragons… I’m taking it easy to heal faster. For a few days, at least.

“Now, tell me who has earned the wrath of Farina. Was Yassir being a needy prick to you, again?”

* * *

"No, it was not Yassir. An Umali man was working for Samhila at the forge." She was relieved to see that he had no outstanding wounds on his body, letting the burn heal. Her face stayed hardened exhausted and not wanting to look into the eyes of the man she had just defended. _So, you like his cock then, Mushara? You disgust me. Scum._

* * *

Talon was incensed that some servant had triggered this outburst in Farina. “What did he do, Farina? Did he touch you? Hurt you?” He imagined her trapped in a corner, some dark figure approaching her menacingly. He shook the image away, but he was already ready to call for blood. “If he laid even a finger on you, I will see him broken.”

“Tell me now. Who was it, and what did they do?” 

* * *

Fuck. "No, he did not hurt me. He just said mean things about a lot of people, and...yeah. He did not touch me," She responded dejectedly, trying to stop the words from ringing in her head of what the man had said to her when she had defended the Kidati warrior. She felt trapped in this situation, being interrogated by Talon. She knew he meant well, but this was not the time.

_A pity he will never give it to you. He will bring a woman to his home, and you will be just a slave again._

* * *

“Oh, that is not too bad. Servants are always bickering, always fighting. Did Samhila punish this man?” Talon felt relieved, knowing that she had been safe. He felt a lot better.

* * *

Wrinkling her eyebrows in frustration, she could not force herself to answer this time. She stormed off to go maybe fix dinner or something. If he had known what Pashar had said, he might not respond the same way.

* * *

Talon walked after her into the house, surprised that she had not answered a direct question. He had never known her to treat him with disrespect. “Farina, answer me: was this man punished?” he said to her as he trailed after her angry footsteps.

* * *

"Yes!" She hissed, refusing him an explanation. _Mushara_ , the word rang in her head over and over again. She was not a _mushara_. She did what was required to keep her job. That's all. She knew she owed Talon an explanation, but..."Talon, not now," She sighed, her body turned away from him.

* * *

“It is good that he was punished. He clearly deserved it, for filling you with such wrath.”

But as she turned from him, he grew concerned again. This was unusual. He walked to her, standing close behind her. “Why are you so upset, though? You turn from me, little warrior. Why are you like this, now? Have I angered you as well?”

* * *

She shook her head, spinning around to face him. He really wasn't going to give up, was he. "He called you scum. Said I was a wasted Umali woman for sucking your cock. He told me to go to his bedroom so he could show me what it was like to be with a "real Umali" man. I defended you, and...." Looking away, her face turned a bit red with embarrassment. Shaking her head, she crossed her arms, looking down. "Forget it."

* * *

“I will not “forget it.” He has insulted you, and myself as well. It is good that he has already been punished. 

“However, you must anticipate these types of insults. To him, I am scum. My people enslave his. It is not your fault, though, that I make you do these things. You are still a good Umali woman." 

* * *

"He..." She hesitated and looked down. "He struck a nerve. He kept going, when I defended you..." She shook her head, her angered face burning with embarrassment. "When I defended you and said you were a good man, he interpreted this as that I liked your cock. Asked me if I liked it, called me a disgusting suckup slave who likes to be debased. And then..fuck, I'm embarrassed to say these words!" She cried out, covering her face. She hated the words that rang in her head, over again. She did not want to tell Talon what he said. Not that part about a woman coming in, and she would become just a slave again.

* * *

“You were less upset over scrubbing the whole courtyard, than this. Why, do you think?”

* * *

That part was obvious. She knew her place in this situation, and she didn't need to be reminded. "I'm tired of men just talking about their cocks, especially with women. Why does everything have to be about that?!"

* * *

Talon placed his hands on the elbows of her crossed arms, saying, “This man was cruel. It only matters that your conduct befits your station. You have not done anything wrong. You should not feel embarrassed to be a good servant. To fulfill your purpose.”

He let go of her elbows, looking down and scratching the back of his head. “I apologize for being such a man that talks of his cock. I will not ask you to bathe me, anymore. You will tell me when I am dirty.”

He looked up at her, mirth returning to his eyes. “I must tell you that, now. You stink. Go have a bath, take your time. I can start dinner.” 

* * *

"I-I'm sorry," She responded, feeling uncomfortable from what she had told him but not knowing what exactly she was apologizing for. She didn't even.....well yeah, he had been....he had asked her to bathe him a lot. Nodding, she walked off and whispered out a "Thank you."

Finding her way to the bath, she was carrying the usual supplies in hand. Thoughtlessly, she stripped off the sweaty clothes she was wearing from before and wade into the pond shallowly, sitting down. Her body ached from soreness, and her tear ducts ached from letting her mind wander back to that event. 

He's a good man. _So you like his cock, Mushara? Such a shame to waste a woman who looks like you sucking his cock. Another woman..._ Farina bathed in the pool, staring down at herself and scrubbing herself in the same pattern that she usually bathed Talon.

* * *

Talon gathered some ingredients from the storage room, intending to start a simple stew. He began chopping them up on a board he had also grabbed, placing it on the table in the main room.

As he chopped, he found his mind stuck on the way Farina described the insults and her responses. She had defended him. It was odd, that - most slaves hated their masters, at least privately. He knew he had indulged her, but still, to give up your freedom and control, he shivered, not being able to imagine it.

He _had_ been indulging her, though, so much so that Samhila had looked at him oddly, at first. Why did he care? And why did the insults to her womanhood and honor make him feel such fiery anger? 

He placed the ingredients in the metal pot hanging above the fire, where water already boiled. 

It must be the vision. She would be his Chosen, he was bound to care for her. That was all.

* * *

She would wash the soap off her body with water every so often, her thoughts drifting from that moment to Talon in general. _Little Warrior_ , he would always call her, as if she was a follow soldier. The nickname left her cheeks and stomach a little warm through the pain of earlier. 

_I apologize for being such a man that talks of his cock._ She had never heard these words leave a man's mouth in her lifetime, until now. But at the same time, a part of the voice of that man stuck with her so persistently because it was not wrong. So you like his cock? She.....she did. Her eyes relaxed a little while she spaced out, remembering the way that she had patched up and washed Talon's body so that she could tend to his wounds, the way he had breathed her name. "Farina...!"

Maybe it was Stockholm syndrome, or something fucked up like that. She probably was just conditioned to like his dick by now, right? It was probably because she had been giving him baths really often for a whole month now. Farina's hand drifted down to between her thighs under the water, her legs spreading a little while she absentmindedly explored her inner folds.

* * *

He stirred the pot, watching the bubbles pop at the surface. His thoughts wandered to Farina, and he wondered how long her bath would be. As if unbidden, an image of her in the water rose in his mind. He remembered how it looked as she tentatively took him into her mouth, shuddering slightly, his hands clenching. 

This was why he needed so many baths, he reflected. He knew he liked the way she looked since before he even met her. Even when he had seen her across the temple, he had wanted her.

She was so capable, too, a trait he both admired and aspired to. And she was feisty, he liked that about her.

He wondered how it would be after the Choosing. How badly his family would react. He had to follow his vision, but where would it take them? He bit his lip, thinking. It would be bad for him, but also for her. The other women of the Kidati would _hate_ her for ruining one of their men. They would think she was a whore, call her names like that and worse. Based on today’s events, how would Farina handle that?

* * *

Regardless of whether or not it was Stockholm syndrome, she realized in that moment that she wanted....she wanted to please him, to suck him off. She was sure that if she told him he was stinky..well, he wouldn't complain, would he? Just the thought of her kneeling before him, his tall form peering over her and watching her take him into his mouth....just that image ignited the pulsing of her clit. Maybe it would be better to finish herself off later in the pool. 

Pushing herself back up, now clean, Farina walked out of the water, her breasts and midsection jigging a little bit with the movement. She wrapped the towel over her wide hips, realizing that she had forgotten to bring a change of clothes. Well...shit. Rolling her eyes at herself, she walked toward the house opening.

* * *

He heard bare footsteps on the porch, and he looked out the nearby window to see Farina pass by on the way to the door. He only had a momentary glimpse of her, but as she passed, he clearly saw that she had no garments covering her torso. Even the glimpse made him drop the spoon he was about to place on the table. He managed a vague fumbling gesture, and caught it. _What was she doing?_

* * *

Farina padded into the house, hoping to not be seen by Talon. Unfortunately by the time she had walked in, he was staring at her in a....well, the look on his face was less confused and more....incredulous. She simply stated, "I forgot a change of clothes because I was upset," like an awkward robot before turning and rummaging through the storage room to find a pair of clothes. She rushed upstairs, careful not to bare any of her body to him.

* * *

He could not help but stare and watch helplessly as she made to get a change of clothes and then went upstairs. Her luscious body was so close to naked. The towel was wrapped tightly around her, so tightly that her ample breasts cleaved together tightly and threatened to spill over their confinement. Her belly was less visible, hidden by one of her arms as they clutched the towel around herself, but he had a momentary impression of a slight jiggle to her flesh there.

The most interesting part was the way her towel did not quite close around her hips, a widening sliver visible on one side. He felt his adam’s apple bob in his throat, as he contemplated the new visual information he had gained… she normally dressed so conservatively.

Why did he say she could pick when to bathe him?

He was still standing in the same place as she left him when she returned.

* * *

The way he was transfixed from just....just a few moments earlier made her feel dirty all over again. Farina took a seat, lowering her bright purple eyes to her plate filled with stew to avoid staring right back at him. She could always clean him. She could tell him when he was dirty.

"How was your day?" She asked quietly, trying not to think about how earlier she had decided that she'd like to suck him off so that she could get herself off later. Based on his behavior here, he....probably would not mind that.

* * *

He sat at his chair, pushing the food around. “I have learned much, though some of it is frustrating. I went to meet the master builders in the city, to talk to them about making the large siege ballista you mentioned might be able to take down a dragon.

“Theoretically, they could make them. Theoretically, they could source the materials. Theoretically, there is money for it in the coffers of the city. But in reality, I cannot command them to build them… the Patriarchs could, but they most likely would require more of a clear threat to actually embark on a project of this scale.” 

* * *

"That is unfortunate," She conceded. But maybe you could convince them by taking them on a hunt and show them why you are concerned?" Farina sipped at her soup, a little less hungry for food right now than for other things.


	20. Answering Some Questions

“Many patriarchs are content to remain out of battle once attaining their positions. A dragon hunt would not interest them. I think we must kill the other dragon to convince them that there are threats.” 

He watched her for a moment. “Is the stew not to your taste? There are herbs and spices in the store room; I could fetch some?” He did not know why he was being so solicitous. 

* * *

She nodded a minute before he asked the soup question. Waving her hands back and forth, she reassured him. "No! it's quite good. I'm just not very hungry right now." She smiled at him in a reassuring manner, trying to focus back on the dinner. "Do you have a plan to kill the dragon?"

* * *

“I think we will need to use an anchored trap, as we discussed. I bought some traps meant for rhinoceros that were on a travelling merchant’s wares. He expected to sell them in the southern lands, but was happy to sell them to me. I got some odd looks carrying them to the barracks.”

He stroked his beard. “Hopefully they are large enough; they look big, but I have not seen a rhino or the dragon, yet.”

“The plan would be to bait the trap in the dragon’s territory and wait, then kill it without being burned alive.” He smiled tightly at her, then. 

* * *

She laughed a little, shaking her head back and forth. "Just....make sure not to die, so I can at least patch you back up again." Her smile was a little too transparent, too genuine in that moment. 

"Let me know if you need anything from the forge -- Samhila would like me to fill in as an apprentice for two hours a day, if that is alright with you."

* * *

He held her smile for a moment, then responded to her information about Samhila. “That sounds fine. I think she will owe me a favor, now. You may go to her starting tomorrow. If you require different clothes, use my funds to buy them.”

“What else did Samhila want? She is quite a gossip, did you hear anything good?”

* * *

"Um, well...." Feeling a little uneasy, she shifted around in her seat. Samhila had asked some interesting questions. "She was asking me a lot of questions about who you are courting. Obviously, I did not say anything because I have not seen any women here, but she seems certain that you are courting a woman, and being careful about it. She made this conclusion based on how she has not seen you out with any Kidati women, but have stopped talking about..." Farina stopped to think, rubbing her chin. "Ah yes, the Choosing and your vision."

* * *

“She’s always in my business. The whole city is. You told her the truth, but in the future, you may simply tell anyone, no matter how friendly, to butt out. My business is my own, when it comes to private matters.” He frowned, realising that he was in a bad position: he did not want to lead a Kidati woman on, to use her as a ruse, but if he did not, he risked coming under suspicion for exactly what he planned.  _ Bath-rick _ echoed in his head.

And she had also told Farina about the Choosing, and his vision? Well, better address this somehow. Directly might be the best option. “Do you have questions about those things? The Choosing, and my vision? How much did that gossip tell you?”

* * *

She was a little surprised by his response. He seemed to have thought about this already. "Well, I was just kind of surprised, because she told me that you had been practically galloping all over the city, telling anyone who would listen about the Seeing -- she said you saw your first born, a boy. I am a bit surprised to not have heard of this, since we are around each other a lot. I am not bothered by it, exactly, just curious." Farina leaned over the table a bit, scrutinizing him. Something was fishy about this situation. Backing up a little bit, she regarded him with suspicion. "I do not have any questions about the Choosing, really. It seems fairly simple -- you choose a Kidati woman to breed for the season."

* * *

Talon looked down at his now-empty plate. He felt embarrassed about her description of him, telling everyone about his vision. Yet, it was accurate, at least for the first few days after the Seeing. “Knowing that you will have your first child, it is a great thing. Many emotions fill me when I think of it, my child, a boy. The vision was very vivid. I could feel him breathing, smell his skin, see his eyes focus on my face.” He stopped here, almost wanting to confess it to her, his full vision. But she was an outlander, she’d likely think he and his plan to Choose her mad. He swallowed heavily. It would stay a secret to the end.

“I did not tell you because you do not celebrate the Season. I did not think you would want to hear of my success, at least not in the beginning.” He looked at her curiously, waiting for her reaction. Would she congratulate him? On his future child with her?

* * *

Nodding, she understood then. That was quite plausible -- they were absolute strangers at the beginning, afterall, which was a bit after he had the vision. "That absolutely makes sense.......congratulations on seeing your firstborn for the first time. I am sure that that would be exciting, to see one's future child." 

Samhila's words rang in her head.  _ Long ago, there used to be female seers who would ride along the horselords, telling the future. Their eyes were purple, like yours. _ Inquiring a little further, Farina tried to keep her face neutral while asking, "Have you ever heard of a woman having a vision?"

* * *

She did congratulate him. He couldn’t figure out what expression was on his face, so confused were his thoughts. The mother of his child, congratulating him on breeding her, before they had even touched in that way. It was all very surreal. “It was exciting. Thank you for the congratulations.”

He thought back. “There are stories, of course, of the Seers of old. Their visions were potent. I have a favorite. Would you like to hear it?”

* * *

“"Yes," she interrupted him halfway though the sentence, following up with an apology immediately after. Farina had always had quite vivid dreams, but she wondered if it would be possible that she was descended from that line of seers. Which meant that she could possibly one day have a vision.

* * *

He smiled, glad to have a safe topic, at last. “It is a long tale, with many chapters, many adventures. It tells the tale of the first horselords, their king, and the outlander he eventually married. It is set in the time before the Commandments, when there was no prayer but that of the certainty of your own sword.

“Would you like to hear of Corinth-sol and Aerin-sol, his Seer and wife?” He settled back, preparing the tale in his mind. It was honestly similar to their own, something he had not realised. “I cannot tell it all in one night, but perhaps the beginning?”

* * *

"Sure, I do not mind," she informed him with a smile. Interesting. An horselord marrying an outlander.


	21. A Great Love Story

Talon began, “Now, to start, there were horselords in tribes throughout the area we now inhabit, but all the families were separated, frequently at war. The largest group had a King named Corinth, though they used the old way of saying it, Corinth-sol. He was a great warrior, but he was in want of a wife. 

“On a ride through the desert alone one day, he fell upon a woman rider on her own. She was gathering herbs of the desert. When he saw her beautiful violet eyes, he knew he wanted her. She managed to kick him in the spear when he went for her, though, and thus escaped. This woman was Aerin, who would become Aerin-sol.”

“Are you still interested, little warrior? I could skip to the part with the visions.”

* * *

_ Purple eyes. _ "Yes of course, go on...." Farina was absorbed in the story at this point. It seemed kind of coincidental. She supposed if she had had visions, she would find the story almost spooky. But this was not the case, and she continued to display interest.

* * *

“Corinth knew what tribe she belonged to by her dress, and the next day, rode to the small fort which held its town. He ran at the fort with his horse at a gallop, dodging the arrows rained down on him, and urged the horse to jump as they approached the walls. The horse sailed over the walls to land in the courtyard. These walls were high, like the ones in our compound. I do not know how he did it. Fantastic, right?”

* * *

She laughed a little in disbelief. There was no way a horse could jump that high. "Yes, indeed, so much that I cannot believe it happened. But continue."

* * *

"On the other side, he fought the men to a standstill single-handedly, though he did not strike to kill. The village's leader, amazed, asked what the horselord wanted, if not to kill them. 

"Corinth said he would exchange their lives for the one of the purple-eyed girl, and they brought her to him. She was spirited, resisting, and clawed at his face as he bound her, blindfolded her, and threw her across his horse's druthers. 

He stopped here, "Could you fetch the long pipe and the fireweed in the store room? It is good to smoke while telling tales such as these." He looked at her expectantly.

* * *

Nodding, the servant got up to fetch him the fireweed and pipe, bringing the flint and steel with her to light it. She sat down and passed it to him before readying the lighter in her hand for him.

* * *

He packed some fireweed into the bowl, and held it still. "You may try this, if you like. It makes things more vivid, including your imagination. Do not go too hard at it, though, it will make you cough."

* * *

"Sure," She responded without even thinking about it. She didn't exactly want to be sober at the moment. This story was a bit too coincidental. Lighting the weed in the bowl, she took a slow inhale of the smoke that was concentrating in the pipe. After a second, she released the puff of smoke. "Are you going to use it, too?"

* * *

"Yes, pass me the pipe." When she did, he puffed on it lightly, perhaps taking less than she did. "I am very affected by this. I only do it seldomly." 

He handed it back to her, saying, "You may have your fill. I will ask if I want more."

* * *

She regarded the weed with mystery. She had tried it because he had tried it. But hell, why not? After a second, she took another puff before placing the fireweed on the table.

* * *

"The scratch Aerin placed on his check was the only blood of his drawn that day, and he would have a scar. One that he wore with honor, for it reminded him of that day."

"He took her to a small outpost of his men, suddenly unsure about what he had done. She did not even speak his language. Why had he chosen her?"

* * *

The little details stacked together in her mind, one by one. purple eyes. resisting. horselord. did not speak his language.

She let little show on her face, but instead sat back, continuing to note the similarities with little bits of anxiety infiltrating her thoughts.

* * *

"The men were angry, and so after only a day at the outpost, he left again, taking only his few supporters with him. They roamed the desert for a full month, gradually adjusting the woman to her new status as prisoner. No one told her she was meant to marry the king, and it is unclear whether she even realised his rank, so little of their tongue did she know."

"She was quite fierce, attempting to escape multiple times, her escapes crafty. She deceived the men on multiple occasions, and only Corinth could keep her where she belonged."

"Through gestures and some trial and error, they began to understand each other. He managed to express that they would allow her to ride on her own, if she were good. Prior to this, she rode bound behind Corinth on his steed, arms bound around his wide chest."

* * *

Farina burst out laughing, the weed starting to kick in. "That's a hilarious way to bind a prisoner. Poor lady."

* * *

"I'm sure he liked it. He did not touch her, in the way a man touches a woman, though, not during this time, nor until they were married. Though he wanted to, and later, she did too."

* * *

Her laughs quieted down in response to that particular detail of the story. She briefly wondered.....no, that was a stupid thought. However, her face stayed a bit sombered while she looked over the features of the man in front of her.

* * *

Talon had seen her expression flicker, though, and replied, "Theirs is a great love story, and there are even explicit songs that describe their first coupling, so perfect that it warrants its own epic."

* * *

Blinking twice in a row, the high woman cocked her head to the side. "That's a little excessive, it seems, but."  _ First coupling. No, no, brain, don't do it. _

* * *

"During this time, they hatched a plan on what to do with her: turn her into a true horselord woman, with all the skills inherent in the role. That way the others might accept the marriage, and not fragment the tribe."

* * *

"What happened then?" The woman asked him, absorbed in the story. She was currently using her and Talon as visual stand ins while picturing without realizing it. They just fit the roles so well.

* * *

"Corinth had to go see about the business of the tribe; he had already been away too long. He sent for the best tutors in the land, and for the next six months, they trained her in the small desert oasis, living in tents.”

"They trained her in combat, she had never even held a blade before. They taught her to ride like a horselord, in the same style we use today. They taught her the language, which she found most difficult. They taught her their customs."

"She was biding her time, waiting for another chance to escape. But she did not even know where they were in the desert, so she played along."

"In the spring, they debuted her to the society. She was truly impressive with the sword, since she had taken to it very naturally. The language was still laden with a heavy accent, though the others found it charming."

"She learned, then, of her fate to marry the king. The thought repelled her, since she did not know Corinth was the king. He avoided her, only watching from afar. It is said that they both would touch themselves to the thought of the other, under the same moon."

"There was a great festival which included the competitive combat games that we now know as the Trial. She was entered into it, and trained hard to learn the tricks of the swords game. There was a women's and men's Trial in the old times, and then the two victors faced off. The man usually won, but it was a crowd favorite, so they kept it in."

* * *

"That's kind of cute," She mused, imagining herself sword fighting Talon in combat. That sounded like it would be quite fun.

* * *

"The way to win a trial was to remove the sash from your opponent's waist with a slash from your sword. You were not to draw any blood, if you did so, you were known as  _ baka _ , or butcher, and lost honor and the round."

"She advanced quickly, finding a rhythm and taking sashes of her opponents seemingly without trying. She actually proceeded through the last duals faster than the first, and her pile of opponent's sashes grew tall."

"She was a bit fantastic, too, and soon her rounds were drawing greater crowds than those of the men, something unheard of."

* * *

Farina smiled in pride, imagining herself as the distinguished woman competitor. The crowd roaring, the artistic swipes of her slashes one after another cutting the sashes off of her opponents.

* * *

"Finally, she was announced to be the victor among the women. She rested in her tent, waiting for the final round to begin, growing weary."

"When the event was announced, it was dusk, the ring illuminated by the many torches of the crowd. Everyone was watching. The man appeared, and was announced as simply 'sol', or King. He wore a turban that hid his face, in the way the fabric wrapped around. Immediately, she was angry."

"This was the horrible man she was to marry, and he hid his face from her?"

"It angered her greatly, and so the match began with her furious slashes. She really wanted to defeat him. Some say the king toyed with her, intentionally tiring her out, but she was wild, becoming uncontrolled."

"Some in the crowd called for a halt, afraid for the king, but he dodged her attacks gracefully. Until, with a feral roar, she made a leaping strike. She saw his sash flutter to the ground, and was proud, but then she looked up at him, preparing to gloat."

"It was Corinth! And he had blood on his check, a cut on the opposite one from where she had clawed him, nearly symmetrical.  _ Baka _ , she thought, dismayed, knowing she had cut him before taking the sash."

"Yet he lifted her up, held her there, and proclaimed her the victor."

* * *

Smiling kind of sappily, she let out a high little, "Aww. That's cute." Yep, Farina was a bit higher than she had planned to be. 

* * *

"Only the greatest love story of my culture." Replied Talon, laughing. He took another puff from the pipe, and then lifted it, standing. "I want to go see the stars. I'm almost at the part where she has her first vision."

* * *

"Okay," she responded, standing up quite slowly before following after him. Her arms felt a little numb and her body felt light. Almost at the part where she has her first vision. 

Once they were outside, next to the pool, she sat down on the side of the pool and dipped her feet in.

* * *

Talon carefully placed the pipe on the bank, before rolling up his pants a bit around the ankles and sitting beside her, feet in the water.

He grimaced slightly, shaking his head. "The braids on the right side of my head feel too... tight. Re-braid them while I continue the tale?" It came out as a request, not an order.

* * *

"Sure," she said, moving behind him and placing her hands on his shoulders for stability while sitting down. While he continued the tale, she started to undo one of his braids on the right side.

* * *

"Hmmmmm," he said, pleased.

He looked up at the stars, saying reverently, "There are groups of stars called Corinth and Aerin. I will point them out later, if we are still awake. They only come out in the near-morning, close to dawn. At the darkest point, when we need heroes."

* * *

This felt....romantic, Farina thought to herself with her fingers up against his scalp. Maybe not conventionally so, but….romantic for Talon. Leaning over to his left ear, she asked, "Is that loose enough?" She accidentally miscalculated, her lips a little too close to his ear. 

* * *

Talon shivered, as her breath hit his ear. He tried to stay disinterested, but turned his head so that her lip touched his ear, only for a minute. "It is good, little warrior."

* * *

"Mmkay," She murmured before starting to work the braid in.

* * *

"Now, back to the story." he said, drawing in breath.

"After the Trials, and Aerin's victory, there was a grand celebration. The culmination of which was a great feast, for which Aerin was the guest of honor. Amid the food, and wine, and dancing, a cup of klah was called for. This klah is said to be stronger than the beverage we use for Seeings, though the recipe is lost to time."

"The king took it, offering it to Aerin. She drank deep, unaware that klah should be sipped, and slid into a trance."

* * *

Farina worked the braid down his back, pushing the bead back on it. She started to undo another braid while muttering, "Reminds me of the weed.  _ Sneaky _ ."

* * *

Talon continued, "She saw the desert as if a bird, flying high. She could see her home fort, banners flying, and the scattered tribes of all the horselords, including the great festival where she was, the many tents arranged in neat rows."

"She flew further, past the mountains to the north, and to her horror, found a vast army massing on the plain, the soldiers appearing strangely inhuman to her. There were more soldiers than she could count, legions."

* * *

Farina continued onto another braid, and then another. Her fingers were getting tired and achy, but she stared into the starry sky like she was part of the story -- like she was Aerin.

* * *

"Unknown to her, as she had seen these things, she had been shouting out what she saw in the Ancient tongue, which only Corinth and his closest advisors could speak. But she had not been taught the language. Many of the advisors made signs of warding, as if to protect themselves from the evil she described."

* * *

Once she finished his braids, Farina asked if they felt alright before slumping over gently, laying her chin on top of his head and looking at the stars. She let her arms relax and fall past his shoulders, almost like he was being hugged by a zombie.

* * *

Talon lifted the pipe to his lips, taking another puff, careful not to jostle her. "After the ordeal, Corinth called for the musicians to resume their songs, and rushed her to his palace, taking her to the chambers he had prepared for her. They were very beautiful, done in blue and white motifs, though she was quite sick and did not have the energy to notice."

"The Blue Forge in our compound is modeled after the idea of these rooms."

* * *

"Ah. I was thinking of that," She absently responded, her upper body pressed against his back.

* * *

"She awoke in the morning, sure that she had seen the truth, demanding that he marshal an army and ride out to destroy the evil. He believed it was true as well, but knew he would not have the men to accomplish the goal."

"Angry that she was denied, she decided that she would prove it to the non-believers that were calling her Corinth's Witch. She took a horse and left the city, heading north. Corinth let her go, knowing that he must rally the other tribes to join with him if they had a chance to stand against this threat. He was not gifted in diplomacy."

"She made her way north out of the desert fairly quickly, but found the mountainous forest that came next more difficult to navigate."

"Without the bird's eye view she had in her vision, she could not find the path to her goal: a narrow pass in the mountains. She wandered for weeks, running out of supplies and arrows to hunt with. It was so bad that she did not think she would be able to return to Corinth.

"As she was giving up hope, she stumbled upon a beautiful mountain lake, and sat at its bank, crying. A man came to her then, from within the deep trees near the water. He had a strange air and manner, and no matter how much she looked at him, she could not decide upon his age. He introduced himself as Luth."

"He told her that he had known she was in his forest for weeks, and had tracked her here. She was upset, wondering about his intentions, and tried to draw her sword. She found herself unable to pull it from her scabbard. Luth was a little fantastic, too."

"He then told her that he had seen the great evil army to the north as well, and wanted to train her to use her sight and power to defeat them. She trained with him for a month, and some say they were lovers. I believe she waited for Corinth." Here he shrugged, his back and shoulders rubbing against her chest.”

* * *

"I believe it, too," She agreed even though this was the first time she had heard the story, her nipples hardening just a little bit against him.

* * *

"Let us take a break here. It is a truly grand tale, and I am only giving you the abridged version." He gently pulled his head from under hers, looking back at her. "I want to swim."

* * *

"Hey, Talon," She asked, her lips just a few inches away from his, curving up into a mischievous smile. "I meant to tell you this earlier, but you're dirty. You should take a bath." She moved so that she was in front of him, sitting. Her expression was lidded with an unreadable expression, as if she was entranced.

* * *

He blinked at her slowly. "I'm... dirty?" he asked, voice strained, thinking about her implication. "Very well. If I am dirty, you must bathe me." He stood up, feeling playful, knowing that he was not dirty and she must just want this.


	22. Talon is Dirty

It was not the first time that telling this story had paid off for him. His first kiss had come from a girl after he had told her the tale, though he had stressed the romance of it more, that time.

* * *

Propping herself up on her knees, she looked up toward him before leaning forward and pulling down his pants. "You should take your shirt off," She asked as a request even though the words themselves sounded like a command. This was probably on Farina's list of "Top Ten Stupidest Things Ever Done," but she continued pulling his pants down until they were at his ankles.

* * *

Talon followed her orders, taking his shirt off, feeling the cool night air against him, and noticing it more as his pants slid down. He stepped out of them, and though he loved the way she looked on her knees, he reached down, pulling her up by the arms.    
  
“I am not so dirty, yet, that we must do this now, Farina. Is this due to the smoke, only, little warrior?” 

* * *

"Talon," She asked his name like a plea, moonlight hitting her face at just the right angle to show off the glint of her purple eyes. "Stop asking questions. You're dirty...." And in Umali she explained to him, "I need to  _ clean _ you right now." propped up on her knees, she crept a hand up his thigh in a teasing manner, waiting for him to allow it and stop asking.

* * *

He felt his cock harden slightly at the way she said his name, her purple eyes gleaming in the moonlight. “You’re right, I am dirty....” he agreed, reverently. And then she said that dirty Umali phrase, and his cock throbbed, noticeably. He stepped deeper into the still-warm water, taking her hand and guiding her to him.

* * *

Farina gripped his cock, noticing when exactly it had throbbed -- did he know Umali? If he didn't why would his cock visibly pulse in response to that? She supposed she could test that out a bit more. "If you know your slave's language so well, you might better instruct me in my native tongue," She drawled in Umali, aiming his half-hard cock so that it was horizontal. She leaned in, Licking from the base to the tip, just teasing him with her wet tongue.

* * *

Talon listened to her orders in Umali, understanding perfectly. But he did not want to reveal what he knew, not yet. Instead, he said in Kidati, “Speak Kidati, woman.” He groaned as she licked him from root to tip.

“And my cock, is it the dirtiest part of my body? Is that why you are _cleaning_ it first?” 

* * *

Clean? She contemplated quizzically. It wouldn't necessarily suggest what she said to him in Umali, but it made more sense if he had understood and then responded. Grinning a little from the man's groans, she worked her way from the base up to the underside of the head of his dick before pulling away just a bit and testing him again, this time a little bit more boldly, for a reaction. 

Her lips a centimeter away from kissing his cockhead, she responded in Umali, "One reason I was so mad was because he was right -- I do like your cock." Waiting just a beat, she kissed the head of his dick before feeding the head into her mouth.

* * *

He thrust his cock forward slightly as it came to full hardness due to her lips.  _ Fuck _ , he thought,  _ I should order more fireweed. _ Panting a bit, he looked down at her, her lips so very close. “I am glad you like it,” he said in Umali, but with a thick Kidati accent. He continued, still in Umali, “Speak Kidati, little warrior, I can’t say many words.” He brought a hand to her hair, caressing it lightly, not grabbing as he once had. He moaned as she really took him inside.

* * *

Farina was currently giggling with Talon's cock in her mouth. After a second, she recovered her composure and started to work up and down his shaft with her eager lips and tongue. He did understand it, and she was now eons more embarrassed than she had been before, because it was pretty obvious now that she liked this. ...Oh well, too late now. 

"Yes, Talon," She mumbled with his cock still in her mouth before really teaching him the Umali definition of  _ clean _ , like she had promised him. The part of her high on weed was working to hear him cry out her name like he had before (partially so she could mock him about it later, like he had with the masturbation sounds), while the part of her that was sober was screaming out,  _ This is such a bad idea! _ Her lips kept moving, her mouth forming a suction around the upper section of his dick.

* * *

He laughed a bit, too, as he saw her chuckle with his cock in her mouth. Oh, it was a good feeling, to see her enjoying this act, not embarrassed by it as she had been earlier today.

“Farina,” he gasped as she sucked him. “Clean more of me,” he said, unsure if it would be understandable. 

* * *

Her eyes twinkled a little bit in understanding. He did not say it correctly, but she knew what he was trying to say -- deeper. Encouraged by the desperate manner in which he gasped out her name, she obliged, working to take another inch into her waiting, hot mouth. 

The tip of his head hit the back of her mouth, causing her to gag just slightly before pulling back. Would he be too thick to take deeper? She pushed back to the previous depth, suppressing the need to gag by angling him differently.

* * *

He felt a bit bad as she took him deeper, then choked slightly. He pet her head, feeling badly. “Go slower, brave one.” 

* * *

Now was not the appropriate time to tell him that she didn't really mind choking on his fat cock, and that she was probably going to get off to this later just as much as he was pleasured now. She slowed down for him, heat rising to her cheeks when he called her brave. He never really called her that word, except when she was on her knees in front of him, cleaning him. It was kind of sweet and confusing all at the same time. 

Meanwhile, while she bobbed his cockhead back and forth in her mouth before taking in as much as she could, her body was starting to really react to the combination of the weed and Talon losing his composure above her. Once she had started touching herself, she wouldn't need very long to climax. A dirty thought passed in her mind: why not just start stroking herself here and now?

* * *

“Farina, Farina, that’s good, Farina. Yes, Farina, my little warrior. “ These little nothings spilled from Talon’s lips, in Umali, as he watched her work. He was close, though he did not know what he needed, exactly, to come. “Almost,” he gasped.

* * *

Maybe remembering this the next day would be a suitable compensation for Talon remembering this. Maybe. She'd have plenty of memories of how she brought the Worldmounter to heaven a few times, crying out her name in ecstasy.

Deciding not to wait, Farina worked him inside her mouth with one hand on his thigh, the other drifting down and starting to toy with her throbbing clit. Once she had stroked it in just the right direction and speed, the girl let out a shaky moan, the noise vibrating against his cock.

* * *

Talon noticed the slight motion of her wrist and hand, low on the juncture of her thighs. He knew what she was doing, and he focused slightly, staving off his rapidly-approaching orgasm. Her moan almost put him over.

“Farina, you are making yourself dirty.” He said this in Kidati, adopting a very formal accent, and looking down, pointedly watching her.

* * *

"Uh huh?" She asked him, his cock still stuffed in her mouth. The poor girl looked up at him like a kid caught stealing a cookie. After a second, she started to rub at her clit again, causing her to gasp a little.

* * *

Oh, this was too good. She was unafraid. Time to remind her, a little, of who he was. 

Gently, he pulled his cock away from her, moving his hips backwards. The expression on his face was downright evil.

* * *

Surprised that he had moved away, especially when he was so close to exploding in her mouth, she looked up at him with a quizzical expression, before morphing into a slightly concerned and nervous one. He was up to something, and that was never good.

* * *

He struck a serious expression, though his eyes were still merry. “You’ve made yourself dirty, and dirty slaves may be inspected by their masters. I will find your dirtiness, and clean it myself.”

“On your feet, slave.”


	23. Tables are Turned

She squeaked a little in surprise, rushing to her feet. Her gown was absolutely sopping wet now, half hiked up around her hip at one end and clinging to her form. The only thought running through her mind was, wait, this wasn't in the contract. Not like sucking his cock and masturbating while doing so was in the contract, but still. 

"Yes, Talon," She whispered, her body aching from nervousness and anticipation all at the same time. Her nipples were shamefully erect, poking against the thin garment.

* * *

He was pleased that she rushed to her feet so quickly, and at how she whispered, “Yes, Talon,” making his close cock twitch. He walked behind her, looming over her, and allowed his cock to press against the wet garment on her thigh. “I can see some dirtiness, even now.” 

Saying this, he reached both hands for her large breasts, cupping them and feeling their weight, then squeezing their hard nipples in tandem.

* * *

The sheer feeling of his throbbing organ just brushing against her outer thigh caused her clit to pulse in need. Once he started to squeeze and massage her large breasts, she fell back slightly in surprise, a gasp escaping her lips as her back was pressed into his chest. 

Once squeezed, Farina's hips seemed to jerk forward involuntarily, accompanied by a whimper of pleasure. How was he this fucking hot right now, just....teasing her like this...!

* * *

Her reaction was very, very satisfying, but he wanted more, so he let go of the poor, lightly abused buds after a particularly sharp pull. 

“I need to see you better to determine what should be done. Are you competent enough to undress yourself, or do I need to undress you? Get to it!” He ordered, enjoying the game. His cock spurt a little precome, but he was resisting orgasm.

* * *

"Well, Fuck," She muttered in Umali, not exactly thinking straight -- as if hypnotized, she pulled the garment off of her body without a second thought, to reveal her naked body to him. 

This was the first time he had actually seen all of her for once, and even now only from the back. Her ass was round and plump, her hips wide, with just the right amount of jiggle. Her abused buds were reddened like archery targets, and her trimmed wet folds gleamed in the moonlight, betraying her arousal.

* * *

He moved around her to the front, his cock bobbing in the air as he went. Upon arriving there, he sank down to his knees, moving one of her legs with his hand to broaden her stance. She was beautiful in the moonlight. He trailed his hand thoughtfully on her hip, before saying, “I must clean you, Farina,” in Umali. He leaned his head in, suckling on one nipple, then the other.

* * *

Farina was going to fantasize about this for a long time to come. "Holy fuck?" She muttered in Umali, at a loss for words. Once he started to shower her perky nipples with attention, she let out a strained sigh of pleasure. Never in her servantdom had she expected this from anyone, let alone Talon, even though she had originally been tasked with jerking him off. How did that get here?

Did she care? She was kind of elated that the man she had been fantasizing about was teasing and tasting her body. She ran her fingers through his braids, trying to communicate to him her appreciation.

* * *

He semi-reluctantly pulled away from her nipple, giving it a playful kiss, before sitting back on his knees, looking at her wet pussy. 

This was the part he was looking forward to the most, the thing he knew he did better than most, if not all, of his sword-brothers. He may not have fucked anyone yet, but this was his forte, his almost-under-the-table. 

He felt slightly nervous though, for some reason. 

“Farina,” he began. “I can see the source of your dirtiness. Watch how I clean you.”

He took his large yet gentle hand and spread her lips, revealing her little, yet straining, nub of a clit. He moved in, licking the area broadly a few times, almost as a test, before pressing his tongue against her and licking. He went to town.

* * *

Farina had never been eaten out in her life. That was obviously changing at this moment between him, with the Worldmounter on his knees in front of her, eliciting divine sensations from her clit. 

She squeaked, overwhelmed with electrical shocks of pleasure traveling through her nerves before hooking a leg over his shoulder so that he could get a better angle if he wanted. Her eyes worked to capture that memory in her mind: Talon Worldmounter working fervently to have her screaming his name by the end of this. 

"Talon," She moaned out with what little self control she had left.

* * *

When she put her leg over his shoulder, he pressed his mouth into her harder, her hips more open in this position. Talon redoubled his efforts as he heard her say his name. 

With one hand, he steadied her, the other came up to her vagina, and he pressed one finger inside, feeling her tightness and immediately pressing against her walls as he thrust it in and out. 

He needed her to come soon, so that he could too, a blazing sense of need engulfing him. 

* * *

"Oh! Oh, Talon! Talon!" Farina cried out, immediately covering her mouth with her hands while the man enthusiastically pleasured her. Her tight virgin cunt squeezed his finger as if it was his dick doing the thrusting instead. Just the fleeting thought of his dick replacing the finger had her crying from the sheer intensity of the climax that was washing through her, her cunt gripping at him and pulsing in tandem with her heartbeat.

* * *

Talon felt her orgasm as she cried out his name. His cock was pulsing, so hard. He was right on the edge. Yet he carefully kept Farina steady, gently toying with her clit through the orgasm. As she subsided, he looked up at her, smiling. “I deem you are clean.” 

He looked down at his tortured cock, then back at her, gasping “I am still dirty, I think.”

He rose to his full height, and allowed his cock to nudge against her belly.

* * *

Not letting a second go to waste, she dropped to her knees again. This time, she wasn't coy about it -- he deserved to come, and she especially wanted to thank him for a fantastic orgasm. The girl let his cockhead push and rub against her lips before swallowing a few inches down. She tightened her throat for him, making a swallowing motion to really constrict her mouth like a pussy while pleasuring him.

* * *

That was it for Talon. He didn’t even have to stutter his hips at all, he simply came, his vision suddenly whiting out, even in the darkness. 

As he came back to himself, he found Farina sitting on her butt, looking very pleased with herself. He reached down, taking her wrist in his grip in a strong hold, pulling her up to him. She was quite close to him, so he smiled, dropped a kiss on her forehead, and headed out of the water. “Come, we must sleep. We both will have busy days, tomorrow.”


	24. Bath-rick

The next day, Farina was working at the forge under Samhila's instruction, much of these crafts muscle memory. The girl would make a bit of smalltalk with the Worldmounter, but spent a good portion of her time replaying last night.

* * *

Samhila was working on hammering out a scimitar blade. It was hard work, and she enjoyed it. However, she did not enjoy the strange, distracted air coming off of Farina. 

She stuck the sword into the water barrel, tempering it. It hissed with steam, and despite the noise, Samhila called over to Farina, “What’s bothering you? You have the look of a goat-herder that just realized they left the gate to the pen open all night.”

* * *

"N-Nothing!" She called back almost instantaneously, knowing that would not be a satisfactory response, but it was way better than  _ I got a little too close to sleeping with your brother last night and I'm still thinking how hot and possibly problematic it was? _

To bolster her defense, she added with a clang to the shield she was working on, "I'm just quite happy to be out of the house for a little bit! I get really stir crazy in there." That was a strange response, but it was still an improvement on "Nothing!"

* * *

Samhila frowned, pulling the blade out of the water. It would need polishing. 

“I’m glad you are happy to be here. Did you happen to tell Talon about Pashar?”

* * *

"Yes, I mentioned it to him. He was glad to hear that you punished Pashar," She communicated, hoping that that somehow wasn't too much information and that Samhila wouldn't read into it. Farina wasn't the most skilled person at either common sense or keeping her mouth shut around a gossip.

* * *

Taking up a scrap of pelt, Samhila polished the blade. “Pashar deserved it. He kept repeating one word, “ _ mushara _ .” What does that mean? I assume an insult. Is it like “whore?”

* * *

Freezing up, Farina put down the shield she had just finished before explaining it, her eyes not entirely meeting those of Samhila. This was going to be awkward to explain. "So as I told you, when he insulted Talon, I defended him because he seems like a nice person and has treated me well. Um....he took that the wrong way.  _ Mushara  _ is hard to translate, but describes a slave who likes to be subordinate and dotes on their master needlessly."

* * *

Samhila set the blade down, crossing her arms. She regarded Farina with a frank gaze. 

“So he meant you, in your service to Talon?”

* * *

"Yes," Farina nodded, feeling scrutinized by the woman in front of her. "Since I am a body servant and all."  _ Any defense, just defend! Just defend against the fiery gaze of Samhila! _

* * *

“That is why body servants are quartered with their masters, traditionally. There have been ...incidents… of servant-on-servant violence, since a good body slave is seen as loving their masters.” Samhila shrugged. “It must be difficult, living between two worlds as you do.”

* * *

Farina did not know what to say to that. "I am relieved that my family is safe -- that is all that matters..." She blocked the memory out of her head, her brain echoing,  _ Not now, Farina! Some other time. Samhila does not need to know your life story. _

* * *

Samhila had focused on something else, though, something she remembered. “Pashar was more worked up than normal, though. However you defended Talon, you must have done it well… He has opened up a bit about you, you know. Talon, I mean. When he first came home with you, he would say nothing about why he bought you, other than, ‘It is tradition.’ Now, he will stop by my forge to tell me of your good ideas, the way you fight, the way you bandage him, how nice he thinks his hair looks, because of you.”

“I thought he was just excited about his new toy, but it has not stopped. Now, he is trying to get the Elders to bankroll a plan that was inspired by your advice. You, the body slave.

“I thought it was one-sided, but you dote on him too, don’t you?”

* * *

"I....." Farina stopped in the forge, racking her brain for something that made this socially acceptable. Talon was talking about her? Also, that much? The idea caused her heart to flutter in a nervous (?) manner. He gave her credit for that idea, to anyone? Was he crazy? Even she knew that was a bad idea. Did she dote on him? Well, absolutely, she fucking "doted" all over him last night, didn't she. 

What in the shit was she supposed to say. "I do as I am asked because I am a servant, and I do it the best I possibly can because I have pride in what I do. I do not want to do anything with half of a heart, and that includes braiding his hair, bandaging his wounds, and telling him my thoughts as a mechanic for ballistics. I am sure that is why he asked me, but the idea was not mine." Her face was stone, and she tried to look as natural as she could while the lies rolled off her tongue seamlessly.

* * *

“It is good that you have pride, and that you know your place.” Samhila rolled her shoulders, picking her mallet up. “Just make sure you stay that way. The Worldmounters are not  _ bath-rick _ . Trying to seduce him would simply fail. Do not embarrass yourself.” 

Samhila did not look up as she plunged the scimitar back into the forge.

“I heard Talon with a woman last night. That canyon, it sometimes carries the sounds from the grotto to the courtyard. Especially loud ones. It is good that he is courting, after all. Not a  _ bath-rick _ .”

With that, Samhila took a cursory glance at Farina. “Mind the way you’re holding that shield, you’ll hammer your thumb.” She turned away, whistling, apparently done with the conversation.

* * *

A wave of embarrassment held Farina still in her stomach, freezing up slightly. Oh, fuck, she heard them. How in the hell, were they really that loud?! She had to tell Talon immediately, and uh... _ Bath-Rick _ . What did that mean? She could only assume it was a slur from the woman's usage of it.

* * *

* * *

Talon rode Windchaser hard to the compound, excited about his news: he had sighted the dragon. 

He wanted to tell Farina of the adventure, and also eat something, before he sat down to make some drawings and notes of the beast’s anatomy.

He went to the kitchens, begging for some food. The servants happily prepared him a tray, and he took it with him up the canyon, already munching on a cactus fruit.

He entered the grotto like that, exhilarated and thinking only of Farina, and the dragon. 

* * *

Farina was working in the living room, contemplating her earlier conversation with Samhila.  _ Bath-rick _ . She would have to ask Talon about it when he arrived -- oh, right on time. She leaned back a bit in her chair, holding up a hand to greet him. An ache in her stomach started the moment she saw the gleeful expression on his face. "Talon, we have to talk." Cutting off the conversation now would be best to sober him up.

* * *

Talon barely heard Farina's sober order, he was already gushing about the dragon encounter. 

“Farina, we were out among the sheep on the eastern plains when the dragon came as if from nowhere! It dropped out of the sky from a great height, absolutely *crushing* a pair of sheep! My men and I scattered, but the dragon followed, bellowing! It was after Michif, and everyone knows his horse is slow, so I…”

Talon noticed Farina did not seem to be listening in awe, and he knew he was good at telling war tales. Something was up. “Farina….? What’s wrong?”

* * *

"I am excited about your dragon story, and also that is incredibly stupid and you need to start thinking ahead....! but um....We need to talk now." Patting the chair beside her, she had him sit down. Her face was grim and she honestly felt like throwing up. "So Samhila was talking to me today, and asked me some questions about you....and me...." Ooh, she was very bad at saying embarrassing things. In Umali, she covered her eyes and said, "I think she heard us...last night. She said some stuff about hearing you with a woman, being glad it was not me. I don't think she was....being sincere."

* * *

Talon’s brow furrowed. “She heard us? Did she say what, exactly she heard?” His mind was racing. He had definitely called out Farina’s name. 

* * *

"She only said that you were with a woman, and only really referred to it as courting. And then she said something about you ‘Not being a  _ bath-rick. _ ’ I don't know what that means, but by the way she was using it earlier, it is a.....slur?" She asked, afraid to even see his reaction to this news. It would click eventually.

* * *

Talon got out of his seat, pacing, before stopping against the open door to the storage room, leaning his body against the arch of the opening. “Bath-rick…. “ he murmured. He was facing away from Farina, not wanting her to see his face. The gods only knew what it looked like in this moment. His whole figure seemed to depict shame. He said nothing, deep in thought. He was trying to figure out how to reply, anything that would not reveal him, condemn him.

* * *

Farina couldn't read his mind or anything, but she could at least work to read his body language. Shame. Then it  _ was _ a slur, and it probably had something to do with her as well. She padded up to him, her disposition just as morose, before capturing him in a hug from behind. She pressed her forehead into the curve of his back, figuring it was best to wait it out.

* * *

He placed his hands over hers, grateful for the support. How could he be doing this to himself? More importantly, to her?

After a long moment of staring into the distance, just breathing with her, he spoke, head still hanging in shame.

“A bath-rick is someone who fucks an outlander, usually. It can mean servant, too, they are interchangeable because all servants are outlanders. A Kidati who does this has very little honor, and defies the Commandments.” He paused here, drawing breath.

“There is another, worse definition of bath-rick, and it has to do with a man who was named bath-rick. The man was the heir to his house, but laid with a servant, refusing to take another mate in his first Choosing. The lineage of his house crumbled, and the line ended after much infighting to try to establish control.”

“If I Choose a servant, I would be that bath-rick.” His heart pounded, and he squeezed her hands. Surely, this was too much. How could he explain what he needed to do? 


	25. Revelations

"I see," she answered, her throat a little tight. She knew it was forbidden already, so she should not have been surprised. That was quite a serious charge. If he chose a servant.

Releasing him, she circled around to him and leaned against the table in front of him. Why did he choose her, of all people, to be his body servant? Before, she had not thought much of it because she had just arrived in town, but even now there was no plausible reason why he would choose a particular servant he saw once at the temple. 

"Talon, why did you make me your personal servant?" She asked, trying to put the pieces together before the man in front of her.

* * *

His heart ached. He did not know what to do. But with Farina staring him in the face, his response felt automatic. And it was true, though not the whole truth. Not yet.

“I heard about a new temple servant, with purple eyes.” He looked deep into those eyes, now. He swallowed, worrying. “That’s why I chose you, your eyes.” His head fell forward again, eyes back down, shame still radiating from him.

* * *

Her eyes. He chose a body servant at such an important time because of her eyes. Attraction was not a plausible explanation here -- he had known beforehand the consequences of his actions. She continued to push. 

She took his larger hand in hers, trying to comfort him with a touch. Whatever it was.....it was killing her not to know. It was obvious he was falling under the weight of it. "Talon. I cannot imagine you would choose me because my eyes are a pretty or weird color. Why did you choose me, with my eyes?"

* * *

Oh, gods, she was asking the right questions. She could see right through him. He sunk to his knees before her, almost like a supplicant. He knew he needed to tell her. But how? 

He pressed his empty hand around their joined ones, holding on like it was his lifeline. 

Closing his eyes, he began. “There is more to what I saw. In the vision. I have told no one.” He squeezed her hands, tongue feeling thick and clumsy in his mouth. His words halted, and he dropped his head onto the hand he held, pressing his forehead there.

* * *

Farina stepped up to him, running a hand through his braids and holding him there with her. After a second, she dropped to her knees as well, her fingers secured around his hand still. "Tell me." She wanted him to know that whatever it was, if it involved her, it would be best for both of them to know. She had to understand why he was acting this way to help him.

* * *

He shuddered as she knelt there with him, stroking his hair. This would be it, then. He had to tell her.

Fervently, he spoke in a fast, near-whisper. He was completely still, except to speak.

“My vision, it was as I told you: very vivid and clear. I held my sleeping son in my arms. He awoke, smiling up at me, opening his eyes and focusing on my face.” 

He paused, knowing this next bit of information would be the big one. “His eyes, they were purple, the same shade as yours.” 

* * *

"Your son had purple eyes, like me." She repeated the words, not yet understanding the words because of their implication. Only a few Umali women were born with purple eyes like hers, and none of them were near the same shade, a brilliant violet. And his son had brilliant violet eyes. 

But that itself.....she absorbed the information, attempting to calm both herself and him at the same time. Biting her lip, she asked in a shocked-dry voice, "Was......there anything else?"

* * *

He looked up, trying to see her reaction. He wondered if she would hate him for not telling her earlier. But he could not have. She was clearly thinking the information through, shock beginning to show on her face.

“There was, I heard a woman singing, in Umali.” He hummed the song, throwing in the few words he could remember. It was a simple, repetitive song, slow and drawn out. A lullaby.

“You know it, you must.” Here he was a little intense, suddenly worried that the woman was somehow not Farina. If that were the case, at this point, he did not know what he would do.

* * *

"I......." A lump forming in her throat, her eyes searching his. In recognition, she started to repeat back the song, but with the words in Umali. "Umali," she repeated back to him the name of her language. Her people. And this was what he had seen in his vision. 

How was she supposed to respond to this? Everything clicked into place, the way he had looked at her in that temple. When he had asked her to sing. Would she kiss him or smack him over the head or yell? The girl was frozen to the spot, answering, "I.....must be the woman from your vision. The mother of your child." She repeated those words in her head, not exactly able to believe the words yet, either.

* * *

His eyes searched hers, hearing her confirm his conclusion. She sounded bewildered.

He pulled her into his arms roughly, pressing his head against her neck. “You are. The mother of my first-born.” His heart was beating in his chest so hard. “We will be a family.”

He felt the need to tell her more, to truly confess. “When I saw that vision, it troubled me greatly; I have always honored the ways of my people. And the eyes, I knew it meant that the mother must not be Kidati.

“I never imagined myself a bath-rick.”

* * *

"Don't.....say that word," She bowed her head, touching her forehead to his, her hands on either side of his head. "Not about yourself." She pressed herself to him, her chest to his. "We will be a family," she repeated back with tears in her eyes, both happy and sad.

Stroking his cheek, she tried to be rational in the situation. "You need a cover, so that we can figure this out. I am not your people, and you are not my people, but your gods gave you a vision for a reason, right?"

* * *

Talon drew in a heavy breath as she repeated his words back to him. He could feel his eyes beginning to prickle as well. 

“We believe that by following the visions we will keep our people safe, the gods happy, so that the Worldeater will not visit us again. I will follow my vision. Whatever it takes, whatever it means for us.” He placed a hand over one of hers as it stroked his now-wet cheek.

“A cover? What do you mean?” He was intrigued.

* * *

"A cover, to keep you out of suspicion.....of something! Samhila is already suspicious, and she made her opinion obvious to me. Do you think anyone would listen if you told your vision.....? I do not know...what to do besides to create a cover, to give us time to plan. A cover before the Choosing, so that you seem like you might choose a Kidati woman." With shaky breaths, Farina recounted her thoughts to the stricken man before her. The mother of his child. She was going to be the mother of his child. He had wanted to confirm it before acting on such news. 

But the dragons, and....they had so much to think about, so much to do. His people were in danger, and so could hers be. Why else would the gods prophecy them together like this?

* * *

His mind was whirling. He sat back on his heels, keeping her hand in his. “I understand. It is important to me that we are not discovered before it is necessary. So, while I hate deception, it may be needed.”

He shook his head, thinking hard. “I tried to approach my father about my vision. He stressed following it, sent me to the temple to pray for even thinking it might be somehow false. I do not know how he would react to the news that you are my Chosen. He might send us away, or take you from me.

“It is important that I remain in Dal-Ramoth as long as possible. The people, they do not realize the danger they are in from the return of dragons. I need time to sway them.

“Perhaps I could hint that there was more to my vision, but that it needs to stay secret for a more socially accepted reason?” 

* * *

"Okay, so..." Planning out the variety of possible strategies, Farina brainstormed them out. "Okay, so dragons. We need to make a plan regarding that. And then a cover for this situation. And.....maybe in the meantime....are there any cases of a vision going against the Commandments? You could ask an Elder about this, maybe?" Of course, the idea was not entirely sketched out, but at least he could tell her how feasible the plan was. 

Farina rubbed at the skin of his palm with her thumb, trying to calm him a little bit in the moment. She felt nauseous and elated all at the same time, adrenaline pumping through her body.

* * *

Talon felt his strength return to him, as she planned so carefully. “I will tell you what I learned of the dragon, later. 

“The cover, we have a little time to work on. Though we must be more careful. Especially if our sounds from the pool can be heard in the courtyard.

“I do not know about whether there has been a vision that goes against the Commandments. Asking an Elder is a good idea. My family’s Elder, Tamos, is very wise. He knows much about the history of our people.

He kissed the back of her hand. “It would not be odd to have him as a guest for a meal. He dotes on me, in fact, it was at his knee that I first heard the story of Aerin and Corinth.

“I will see if he is available to sup with me tonight.”

He stood, continuing. “Now, if you would like, little mother, I will tell you of the dragon. Let us sit.”


End file.
